Reservoir Acquires Iconic Tommy Boy Music, Groundbreaking Hip-Hop Label, for $100 Million

Robert Pattinson reckons he spent so many hours filming The Batman in the dark that his skin turned green.

Kanye West reportedly held a private listening party for his forthcoming new album ‘DONDA 2’ in LA earlier this week.The rapper and producer’s sequel album to 2021’s ‘DONDA’ is set to be released on February 22. Future is said to be executively producing the record, while Marilyn Manson is also working on the album.West, who is now legally known as Ye, reportedly held a party in LA on Monday night (February 7) where ‘DONDA 2’ was played (via TMZ).The likes of Drake, Travis Scott and Yung Lean were also said to have been in attendance on the night, with West sharing an image overnight taken by Samuel Alemayhu which showed him with the three aforementioned artists and Baby Keem.A post shared by ye (@kanyewest)Yung Lean also shared the image on his Instagram overnight, captioning it: “New Beatles.”A post shared by @yunglean2001West’s Instagram post followed on from a video he shared last night (February 8) where he gave a passionate speech about “Black Future Month”.“There’s no more Black History Month,” he said in the clip.

Lady Gaga has congratulated the 2022 Oscar nominees after House Of Gucci received only one nomination.The singer and actor, who played Patrizia Reggiani in House Of Gucci, was left out of the Best Actress race at the Oscars despite earning nominations at other major award shows, like the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards.In a post on Instagram, Gaga praised House Of Gucci’s makeup artist Frederic Aspiras – who earned the film’s only Oscar nomination in the Best Hair & Makeup category.“I could not be happier for a man I call my brother, who I’ve worked with for the last 15 years, @fredericaspiras, for his nomination in Makeup & Hairstyling for House Of Gucci,” Gaga wrote.A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)“Frederic was magical, precise, and dedicated months leading up to shoot and during filming. He prepared dozens of wigs for months and months, and did at least a year of preparation.

Lost Ark hasn’t fully launched just yet, huge demand from fans trying to pre-load the game is putting a strain on Steam servers.Amazon Game Studios‘ western release of Lost Ark doesn’t come out in full until this Friday (February 11), but demand for the game is already causing issues for eager fans.Yesterday (February 8), the official Lost Ark Twitter account acknowledged that players were having trouble downloading and pre-loading the MMO.“Steam is aware of it and is actively looking into the issue,” clarified the account, before later saying that “we are now seeing improvements in players being able to download and decrypt the game, and have confirmed this with the team at Valve.”A Founder’s Pack version of Lost Ark means that some fans have been able to get into the MMO ahead of its full launch, which has already led to some early demand.Thank you for the reports regarding game downloads timing on Steam. Steam is aware of it and is actively looking into the issue and we will update players as soon as we have additional information.— Lost Ark (@playlostark) February 8, 2022At time of writing, Lost Ark is the fifth most-played game on Steam.

A sign of Vitamin B12 deficiency may be noticeable on your tongue, according to experts.

Coastguard crews have been deployed as part of a desperate search for missing Scot Jakub Ziomko.

Rutherglen Glencairn manager Willie Harvey was left disappointed after his side’s second-half collapse at Kilwinning Rangers.

Callum Beattie reckons Ed Sheeran was faking playing electric guitar live at The Brits - because he claims it wasn't even plugged in.

The problem of “urban menace” seagulls is too big for Dumfries and Galloway Council to solve, a councillor has insisted.

Alan Irving is Mr Annan Athletic.

The BRIT Awards happened. That’s a thing that there’s no denying. But how did it happen? And why? Those are questions that may or may not be answered here.It was, of course, a night of big changes for the UK record industry’s big annual prize giving.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA week after some tracks purportedly from Lorde’s third album leaked onto the internet (although it seems very few people have actually heard them?), the singer posted a note on her website Monday, along with a rather attention-grabbing photograph of a derriere, possibly hers, from below.As last week’s rumors predicted, it seems the first single is called “Solar Power.” The remainder of the message says only, “Arriving in 2021… patience is a virtue,” nodding to the four years since the New Zealand-born singer released an album.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBruce Springsteen’s top-grossing “Springsteen On Broadway” show will return this summer for a limited run of performances at New York’s St. James Theatre.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorH.E.R. and Ingrid Andress will join the star-studded performer lineup for the 2021 CMT Awards while Anthony Mackie, Busy Philipps, Iliza Shlesinger and Michael Strahan have been added as presenters, the network announced Monday (June 7).The two artists will duet with previously announced performers: Fast-rising R&B star H.E.R.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTo celebrate New York’s apparent reopening, Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning a large-scale performance by multiple acts in Central Park and is working with veteran producer and executive Clive Davis to help organize the talent, according to a report Monday in the New York Times.No acts have been confirmed for the show, which is tentatively set for Aug. 21, although Davis told the paper said he is aiming for eight “iconic” stars to perform a three-hour show for 60,000 attendees and a worldwide television audience.Mayor de Blasio said the concert would be part of a “Homecoming Week” to demonstrate that New York City is coming back from the pandemic.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne of the many revelations of the Prince estate’s ongoing, exhaustive reissue series is that there’s so much more in the late artist’s legendary vault than even the most obsessive fans ever dreamed. Even the sprawling, multi-disc deluxe editions around “1999” and “Sign O’ the Times” barely scratch the surface.One of the key people assembling those reissues is Duane Tudahl, who is turning the team’s research into astonishingly detailed, doorstop-sized books: First with 2019’s “Prince and the ‘Purple Rain’ Studio Sessions,” which focused on 1983-84, and a new one with the unwieldy title “Prince and the ‘Parade’ & ‘Sign O’ the Times’ Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986” (out Wed., June 10).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWith 1989’s “Three Feet High and Rising,” the Long Island rap trio De La Soul created one of the truly groundbreaking albums in hip-hop history, bringing a happy, psychedelic, flower-bedecked vibe — dubbed “the D.A.I.S.Y. Age” — to a genre that had largely been musically and lyrically aggressive and/or self-aggrandizing up to that point.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWarner Chappell Production Music has opened the doors to two new recording facilities: SkyLight Studios in Los Angeles and Sandtrack Sound in Nashville.The WCPM team partnered with David Kotch of Criterion Acoustics to redesign SkyLight Studios, a former mastering lab located in Hollywood. The building is equipped to offer digital and analog recording capabilities with Pro Tools systems, a Neve console, vintage microphones, tape machines, and A-list outboard gear.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn recent years, as streaming has rapidly become the format of choice for much of the world — and the primary revenue source for recorded music — the value of copyrights has soared. That value climbed even higher when the pandemic flattened the financial engine of the music business — the live-entertainment industry — and copyrights proved themselves to be a remarkably durable asset.Over the past few months, Bob Dylan sold his song catalog to Universal Music Publishing for between $300-400 million, Neil Young sold half of his to fast-rising upstart Hipgnosis Songs for $100 million, and Stevie Nicks sold hers (along with other intellectual property) to Primary Wave for $100 million as well, sources say.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDef Jam Recordings has elevated promotion veteran Nicki Farag to Executive Vice President and General Manager.According to the announcement, in her new role, Farag will oversee the label’s day-to-day operations, working with artists, managers and staff to develop strategies and execute plans on behalf of the label’s diverse roster of global superstars and emerging talent. Based in Santa Monica, Farag will report to Def Jam interim Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Harleston.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Prince Estate and Sony Music have released “Born 2 Die,” is the second single made available from Prince’s upcoming, previously unreleased 2010 studio album “Welcome 2 America.”  According to the announcement, song was recorded during a flurry of studio activity in the spring of 2010, when President Obama was just a year into his first term and Prince was reflecting deeply on the issues affecting the Black community and the role he hoped to play in the social justice movement.The song was first recorded by Prince, the bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, and the drummer Chris Coleman, and with vocals added by Shelby J., Liv Warfield, and Elisa Fiorillo. Morris Hayes added final production to the track.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs its 2019 concert with Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, SZA and Becky G shows, Amazon Music does not half-step for its Prime Day entertainment — and even in these concert-challenged times, they’re delivering this year: Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Kid Cudi will star in the Prime Day Show, a “three-part immersive musical event” presented by Amazon Music in celebration of Prime Day.All three episodes of the Prime Day Show will premiere globally starting June 17 on Prime Video and will be available to all customers for 30 days, with or without a Prime membership.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhether or not you know Justin Tranter the person, if you’ve been near a radio in the past 10 years, you know Justin Tranter the songwriter, who’s had a hand in hits like Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean,” Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me,” Imagine Dragons’ “Believer,” Halsey’s “Bad at Love” and dozens more. The former lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons, Tranter (pronouns: they/their) also founded and runs Facet Records and Music Publishing, which launched late in 2018.Yet music is just half of the story: They are also a prominent and outspoken advocate for arts education, animal rights, ending gun violence, songwriters’ rights and perhaps most of all, the LGBTQ community.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne year ago today was  “Blackout Tuesday” — during which the music industry took a work pause to protest police violence against the black community and consider its social justice policies and efforts in the wake of the murders by police of George Floyd, Breona Taylor and so many others over the years.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorYouTube paid out more than $4 billion in royalties to artists, songwriters, and rights-holders, according to a new blog post from the streaming giant’s global head of music Lyor Cohen.While the post was short on detail, Cohen did say that “YouTube has paid over $4 billion to the music industry in the last 12 months alone and has added more paid members in Q1 ’21 than in any other quarter since launch.” He also added that the money was derived from ads and premium subscriptions, and that more than 30% of that $4 billion came from user-generated content.Cohen said YouTube’s aim is “to become the leading revenue generator for the music industry,” although it has a ways to go: Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor the second time, Lady Gaga has postponed her “Chromatica Ball” tour — now it will take place in 2022.“While some parts of the world are moving quickly to open up, others are not yet ready. So until we can confirm all global dates, we have to postpone The Chromatica Ball shows to the summer of 2022,” Lady Gaga wrote in a message.The initial tour dates, originally announced on March 5, 2020, were a month-long, six-city stadium jaunt sprawling from July 25 through Aug.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorNetflix has struck a new long-term exclusive agreement with BMG for the management and administration of its music publishing rights worldwide outside the U.S., the companies announced on Wednesday. The companies forged a similar deal in 2017.Under the arrangement, BMG will serve as Netflix’s exclusive music partner outside the U.S., handling rights and royalties for its original films and series.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSean “Diddy” Combs has teamed up with Salesforce to launch Shop Circulate, which the announcement describes as a curated digital marketplace that allows consumers to discover and buy products exclusively created and sold by Black entrepreneurs. The platform’s goal is to provide Black businesses with a platform to reach global audiences and empowers consumers to shop the world’s best Black-owned brands.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs first revealed by Variety, the Coachella festival has officially moved to April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022, according to an announcement from promoter Goldenvoice. The country themed Stagecoach festival will follow the two Coachella weekends, on April 29-May 1.“Our desert homecoming is officially set for April 2022: weekend one will take place on April 15-17, 2022 and weekend two on April 22-24, 2022,” the announcement reads..

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSeven-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette has unveiled new tour dates for her 2021-2022 world tour to celebrate 25 years of her groundbreaking “Jagged Little Pill” album. The 35-date U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt was supposed to be the 25th anniversary tour, but like every other tour last year, the pandemic forced the Foo Fighters to postpone everything that involved large groups of humans gathering together.But on Tuesday morning, in a press release reading “FOO FIGHTERS FIRST U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor364 days after “Blackout Tuesday” — during which the music industry took a pause to protest police violence against the black community and consider its social justice policies and efforts in the wake of George Floyd’s murder — Motown Records has named Jamila Thomas, a co-founder of #TheShowMustBePaused, as vice president of artist marketing. #TheShowMustBePaused played a pivotal role in establishing Blackout Tuesday and leading the industry to reassess its policies and pledge millions of dollars to social justice causes.According to the announcement, in this role, Thomas will oversee marketing strategies and campaigns across Motown’s roster of artists and partners.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWarner Records ruled the 2021 BRIT Awards with three wins – two for Dua Lipa (Mastercard Album and Female Solo Artist) and one for singer-songwriter, Griff (Rising Star). And the executive who signed both artists got his own reward shortly afterwards, when head of A&R Joe Kentish was appointed label president, following predecessor Phil Christie’s decision to step down.Kentish takes over on June 1 and inherits a label in strong shape, with Warner’s market share of all U.K.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s hard not to listen to DMX’s posthumous album “Exodus” — which the rapper completed just weeks before his death on April 9 — without feeling wistfulness, but there are many classic moments on the set.One in particular is a rare team-up between DMX’s fellow New York rappers Jay-Z and Nas, bringing three of the greatest MCs of all time — not to mention one of its legendary producers in album executive producer Swizz Beatz — on a single track.Over rich, thumping rhythms, Jay raps “To be loved, Shakespearean, experienced to be honest/ Jumpin’ off boats, hoppin’ off another cliff/ Every six months, I think I need a new bucket list”; Nas follows with, “My instincts guide me through this Kurtis Blow culture/ Good

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJ. Cole, Kid Cudi and Future are set to headline the Rolling Loud California 2021 festival, taking place on December 10th-12th, 2021 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino.Also on the bill are Wiz Khalifa, Playboi Carti, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk, Polo G, Rod Wave, Lil Tjay, Jack Harlow and Ski Mask the Slump God, along with rising rappers like Pooh Shiesty, 42 Dugg, Coi Leray, Morray, $NOT, and Latto, as well as Cali veterans Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga, Drakeo the Ruler and more, including a duo performance by Young Thug and Chris Brown.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMondo.NYC, the New York-based music, arts & technology conference, has announced several more panels, events and showcases taking place at this year’s edition, which takes place Oct.