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Judge Denies Retrial for Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and 'Blurred Lines'
The legal saga between Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams versus Marvin Gaye's estate continues as a judge has rejected the defendants' call for a new trial in the battle over "Blurred Lines," the bestselling song of 2013. -
Tupac Shakur Center Displays Fan Letter from Young Eminem to Rapper's Mother
If you enjoyed the fan letter that a young Dave Grohl sent to Minor Threat's Ian MacKaye, then have we got one for you: a note sent from a young Eminem to the mother of Tupac Shakur. Granted, the emcee wasn't a child anymore (as was the case with Grohl), but it reportedly comes from a very early point in Eminem's career. -
HipHopWired Drops 'Official' Rapper Emojis: Drake, Eminem, Future and More
The NBA was recently rocked by several emoji-related news stories, including DeAndre Jordan's waffling between the Clippers and the Mavericks, and DeMarcus Cousins labeling coach George Karl a "snake in the grass" with the digital art. It's somewhat humorous to consider near seven-foot men tweeting like teenage girls, but we digress. HipHopWired took it in an entirely different direction when it decided to make an "unofficially official" listing of hip-hop emojis for most of the genre's biggest stars. -
Deadmau5 Blasts David Guetta, Pacha Ibiza for Abusive Promotion with Horse
Deadmau5 has rarely held back his opinion on any given topic, but he was especially brutal when addressing David Guetta, nightclub Pacha Ibiza, and the pair's use of a horse in a promotion during May. The response from the Toronto producer is late only because the offending imagery was just now sent his way. -
Azealia Banks Announces First Proper North American Tour, with K. Michelle
Much was made about how long Azealia Banks was relevant before she finally managed to drop the (admittedly stellar) 'Broke With Expensive Taste' during 2014, but no one has pointed out that the emcee has never done a proper North American tour either. That is, until now. The rapper announced that she and R&B vocalist K. Michelle would set out together during September for two months of American dates. -
Chief Keef Announces Concert to Raise Money for Family of Dead Toddler
It was another ugly weekend in Chicago as Chief Keef's friend and fellow Glo Gang member Marvin "Capo" Carr was killed in a drive-by shooting. Even more unfortunate, a one-year-old child was killed in the aftermath as the suspects fled the scene, running into the stroller carrying the the infant a few miles away from the initial crime. Even Keef, one of the most bleak emcees in the hip-hop world, has had enough. He declared a free concert in memorial of the child, Dillan Harris, to be held on July 17. He encourages attendees to donate to assist the family with funeral costs and other expenses. -
Ryan Seacrest Signs 3-Year Deal with iHeartRadio, Worth $25 Million-Plus
'American Idol' may be on its last legs, but Ryan Seacrest is still considered one of the most valuable people in entertainment. Even if his biggest television project is on the way out, his radio empire is still going strong, which earned the host/producer another three-year deal with iHeartRadio. The deal will ensure that Seacrest will continue to host over American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, On Air With Ryan Seacrest and his Los Angeles morning show with KISS-FM. -
Meek Mill and 'DWMTM' Gets Another Week as Billboard 200 Shifts Dates
It's an odd span for Nielsen and the Billboard 200, as the international (and official) album release date shifted from Tuesdays to Fridays last week. The next, regular Billboard 200 report should come next Saturday, however Billboard has tried to transition by running a report in the meantime that adds last weeks totals to the four days in-between official release dates. Music Times is trying to run things a little differently, by noting the Top 10 by actual sales during that period. Meek Mill comes out on top again. -
Neil Young Cracks Top 40 for 40th Time: Top 7 Highest-Charting Albums
This week marked an interesting accomplishment for Neil Young, who debuted an album in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 for the 40th time with The Monsanto Years, which opened at no. 21. Many of the reviews for Monsanto have been mixed—either as a question of its musical content or because of Young's politics, which tackles numerous companies including the titular Monsanto and Starbucks. Regardless of what you think about Young's politics, and even if you dislike his style personally, you've got to hand it to him for having cracked the Top 40 on the albums chart 40 times. Music Times isn't going to run through all 40 of those entries, but we'll give you a quick rundown of the seven highest-charting albums in Young's catalogue. You may be surprised at some that did...and didn't...make the cut. -
Tyrese Uses Homeless Woman as Prop for Instagram 'Black Rose' Promo
Tyrese has been busy promoting his new album Black Rose but one bit of self-promotion stands out...for shamelessly mocking a homeless individual while doing so. The video, which is still able to be viewed on the R&B vocalist's Instagram page, features the performer referencing the sleeping woman as a metaphor for the state of R&B. -
Discovery Channel: Great White Sharks Like Death Metal...Because, Duh?
Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" features might not focus on science as much as some marine biologists would like, but there's still plenty to be learned. For example, a documentary crew discovered that Great White sharks are attracted to death metal music because...of course they are. -
Dr. Dre and 'The Chronic' in Billboard 200 for First Time in 20 Years
Dr. Dre and his classic album The Chronic have returned to the Billboard 200 for the first time in more than 20 years, coming in at no. 72 on this week's chart thanks to a new wave of digital "sales." -
Member of Boy Band Rewind Collapses on Plane Due to 12 Layers of Clothing(?)
Hopefully all attention is good attention if you're an up-and-coming boy band, because this headline gets ridiculous real fast: James McElvar, a member of the Scottish pop group Rewind, collapsed due to heat exhaustion after trying to wear ALL of his clothing in an attempt to avoid paying luggage fees. Yup. -
Chief Keef Associate Capo Killed in Chicago Drive-By on Saturday
Capo, a member of Chief Keef's Glo Gang, has reportedly been shot and killed in Chicago. Initial reports did not confirm that the emcee was the deceased, however continued social media activity seems to confirm the fact. -
Joan Jett and The Runaways Rocked by Kim Fowley Rape Allegation
The rock 'n' roll world was shocked this week when Jackie Fuchs—who played bass with Joan Jett and The Runaways under the alias Jackie Fox—alleged that famed manager Kim Fowley raped her after a gig during the '70s. The incident was made even less comfortable by Fuchs' implication that Jett was present and looked on as the event took place. The guitarist, who was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, denied the latter suggestion. -
50 Years of Rolling Stones No. 1s: "Satisfaction," "Paint It Black" and More
Many a joke has been passed about the age of the Rolling Stones...and maybe this fact confirms it: It's been more than 50 years since the band released its first American no. 1 single, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from July 10, 1965. It wasn't the "big breakthrough" that the band needed in the United States, but it certainly got the ball rolling faster, ensuring the group's status as one of the biggest bands in music history. The Stones released seven other no. 1 singles over the next 50 years, and you can check them out below. -
Jack White's 6 Best Guitar Tracks: 'Seven Nation Army' and...What Else?
Yesterday marked the 40th birthday of Jack White, perhaps the most influential individual in the modern rock market. We've been following him since he burst onto the scene with The White Stripes, the self-titled debut album of his most popular band, and he hasn't lost a step in the last 14 years and numerous bands and solo projects. It may be too bold a statement to label him as the greatest symbol of rock music in the 21st Century, but we have no problem labeling him as the most important guitarist of the last 15 years. It's tough to find a song from White's catalogue where his six-string doesn't command attention, but Music Times reached in to choose just six of our favorite guitar cuts. -
Stevie Stone Not Strange Enough for Label, New Album 'Malta Bend'
Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of. This week we look at 'Malta Bend,' the fourth album from independent rapper Stevie Stone. -
Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' Hacker Gets 14 Months for Violating Cloud Server
Madonna came after her leaker harder than most and now Adi Lederman, the hacker responsible for dropping a significant portion of her Rebel Heart album during late 2014 is now facing a 14-month prison sentence. It took less than a month to track him down, thanks to a joint operation by the FBI and the Israeli Police forces (that's the help you get when you've had eight no. 1 albums). -
Mothers of Dave Grohl and Rush's Geddy Lee Hang at Toronto Foo Fighters Show
"I wonder what their mothers think," is a frequent thought expressed by your correspondents mother when he listens to music that features eyebrow-raising language. It makes us wonder what mothers think when their children become huge rock stars. Some are clearly comfortable with the fact, as was evidenced this weekend when the moms of Dave Grohl and Geddy Lee hung out at a Foo Fighters show in Toronto. -
Ed Sheeran + 'Thinking Out Loud' Certified for Longest Climb to No. 1 in UK
Ed Sheeran was certified for the record for "longest climb to no. 1 on the UK singles chart" by the Guinness Worlds Records foundation, to mark his song "Thinking Out Loud" rising to the top spot after 19 weeks on the list. -
The Who Claim to Have Replaced Prince at Glastonbury; Allege Sabotage
The Who have made two bold claims in a recent blog post on the band's blog, stating both that its equipment had been sabotaged prior to its Glastonbury performance, and that it had replaced Prince on the lineup. -
The 6 RIAA Diamond Singles: Eminem, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and More
"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons joined an elite company today, becoming only the sixth song in history to attain diamond status from the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning that it's moved the equivalent of 10 million units in sales, or 10-times platinum status. Wondering what the other five are? So were we, so we looked up the five hits and ranked them from least sales to most...but when you're talking about diamond status...there's really no such thing as "least sales." You may be surprised at how new most of these songs are. -
7 Longest Hip-Hop Streaks At No. 1: Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Wiz Khalifa
Yesterday we learned that Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth had matched hip-hop history by topping the Hot 100 for a 12th week with "See You Again," the pair's smash from the Furious 7 soundtrack. The genre has come a long way since Blondie landed the first rap atop the Hot 100 during 1980 (yeah, Blondie) but still: Only seven hip-hop songs have managed to spend at least 10 weeks on top of arguably the biggest chart in music. Join us as we count up from fewest weeks to most weeks at no. 1, and check back next Wednesday to see if Khalifa and co. manage to take history a step further. -
Meek Mill Sells 5x as Many Records as Miguel, James Taylor on Albums Chart
Yesterday we showed during our summary of the Billboard 200 that Meek Mill and 'Dreams Worth More Than Money' sold nearly five-times as much as any other new title on the list. The same trend applies to actual album sales, where the album moved actually (not nearly) sold more than 500 percent more copies than the runner-up. The emcee stands a strong chance at joining Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar as the only performers to top the Billboard 200 for more than one week when next week's sales are revealed. -
Lee Greenwood's 'American Patriot' Cracks Billboard 200 for First Time
Every once in a while, you'll notice a quirky entry on the Billboard 200, and this week marked the first ever appearance of Lee Greenwood's 'American Patriot' on the list, no doubt because of the preceding July 4th holiday weekend. The album is famous, of course, for including "God Bless The U.S.A." among nine other patriotic standards. This week it came in at no. 172 on the Billboard 200, which Billboard confirmed was its first time in the charts, 23 years after its release. -
Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' Rises on Charts after Documentary Opens
Amy Winehouse is the talk of the entertainment industry in the UK this week, and it's not just because of the release of Amy, the documentary on the late vocalist's life: The hype behind the film has pushed British fans back to the record stores, allowing her hit album 'Back To Black' to reenter the Top 40. -
Why Wiz Khalifa and 'See You Again' Won't Break Hot 100 Hip-Hop Record
Wiz Khalifa (and Charlie Puth) stand on the brink of history, having tied the streak for the longest period for any hip-hop song atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "See You Again," the showcase number from the Furious 7 soundtrack. Unfortunately, the likelihood that they break that record upon the release of next week's numbers. -
Imagine Dragons 'Radioactive' Earns Diamond Status; Only 5 Songs Have Honor
Imagine Dragons has joined an elite number of singles by attaining Diamond status, representing the equivalent of 10 million sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. -
Beyonce, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Pearl Jam to Play Global Citizen Festival 2015
The 2015 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park has announced its headliners for this Fall, as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Pearl Jam will take the stage for one of the year's most celebrated charity concerts. There's no official word on which act will be the main headliner at the end of the night, but Chris Martin—who signed on as creative director for the concert earlier this year—has hinted that Bey will be the big attraction.
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