hip-hop
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Tupac’s estate threatens to sue Drake for his AI-infused Kendrick Lamar diss
Tupac Shakur’s estate isn’t pleased with Drake cloning the late hip-hop legend’s voice in a Kendrick Lamar diss track. Attorney Howard King, representing Mr. Shakur’s estate, sent a cease-and-desist letter calling Drake’s use of Shakur’s voice “a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights.”
Stem Player pocket-sized remixer adds unreleased J Dilla tracks
The oddball puck-shaped Kano Stem Player just added a slew of exclusive J Dilla tracks for remixing and rearranging. Additionally, they released a green slipcover for devices in honor of the legendary hip-hop producer. There are also talks of a forthcoming documentary about Dilla.
A docuseries Spotify's RapCaviar playlist is coming to Hulu
The show will feature the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat and more.
Roland SP-404MKII hands-on: Dragging an iconic sampler into the modern age
Roland is dragging its iconic sampler into the modern age without sacrificing what made it special.
Circuit Rhythm is a portable $400 sampler for budding beatmakers
The budget-friendly groovebox brings the best of the Circuit workflow to lo-fi hip hop beat making.
SoundCloud puts music writers in charge of its new playlists
The streaming era is producing its own music stars and SoundCloud is tapping the industry's tastemakers to help you discover them. Putting its financial woes aside for a minute, the service is doubling down on playlists promoting its fresh artists across genres (hip-hop, electro) and moods (morning routines, first dates). This time it's getting a little help from music journalists including former Pitchfork editor-in-chief, Mark Richardson; electronic music critic, Philip Sherburne; hip-hop reporter, Sowmya Krishnamurthy; and Pitchfork and Rolling Stone contributor, David Turner.
Recommended Reading: The battle to make the end of 'Game of Thrones'
'Game of Thrones' first look: Inside the brutal battle to make season 8 James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly HBO's insanely popular epic concludes in April, but the battle to film the battles, and to keep them from being leaked ahead of time, was a constant struggle for the crew. Entertainment Weekly goes behind the scenes of the final season and offers a spoiler-free primer ahead of its debut in a few weeks.
NYC's hip-hop museum will include iPad graffiti and a VR theater
Hip-hop and rap were not only instrumental in defining modern music, but in defining the technology behind that music. It's only fitting, then, that a major museum dedicated to the genres will be shaped by tech. New York City has confirmed that the Universal Hip-Hop Museum will start construction in the Bronx at 65 East 149th Street in winter 2019, and tech-driven exhibits will play a central role. The creators (including rap legend Kurtis Blow) plan on a virtual graffiti station that translates iPad drawings to an external building projector, holograms and a VR theater to "put you at the center of the show."
A decade later, Drake's 'So Far Gone' mixtape hits streaming services
On the heels of his Grammy win for Best Rap Song, Drake revealed on Instagram that his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone is coming to streaming services for the first time. Though it was originally available for free online, this marks the first streaming availability for the 18-track collection that features cameos from Lil Wayne, Santigold, Trey Songz, Bun B and more. The mixtape also includes the single "Say What's Real," which was produced by Kanye West.
Spotify taps DJ Semtex for hip-hop culture podcast
Following in the footsteps of Zane Lowe and Ryan Newman, hip-hop aficionado DJ Semtex is the latest BBC Radio veteran to jump ship to a music streaming service. He'll be handling co-presenting duties alongside RCA's Parris O'Loughlin-Hoste on season two of Spotify's original podcast Who We Be TALKS_; a weekly show that explores the "music and lifestyle that surrounds [hip-hop and grime] culture".
Apple hires another BBC veteran in its bid to rule hip-hop music
Hip-hop is quickly becoming a key battleground for streaming music services: companies like Spotify and YouTube have been poaching influencers in a bid to become tastemakers and lure millions of listeners. And Apple is certainly no exception to the rule. Music Business Worldwide has learned that Apple has hired Ryan Newman, the Editor for the BBC's hip-hop and grime-focused Radio 1Xtra. He was responsible for creating and implementing the station's strategy, suggesting he'll have a similar role at Apple Music for its on-demand streaming, its Beats 1 station or both.
Spotify lures away Apple Music's head of hip-hop programming
The war between Apple Music and Spotify is clearly heating up. Variety has discovered that Spotify recently poached Carl Chery, Apple Music's Head of Artist Curation for hip-hop and R&B programming. It's not certain when he's leaving or what he'll do next (we've asked both Apple and Spotify for comment). However, it could be a big coup -- Chery has been influential not just at Apple, but in the music industry at large.
Netflix and John Legend are making a music competition show
For all the ground Netflix has covered with its original shows, there's one area it has yet to touch: the talent show. If you ask Variety, however, that's about to change. It understands that Netflix is partnering with John Legend's production company Get Lifted Film Co. on Rhythm & Flow, a music talent competition series. It's still in the early stages (they haven't chosen any hosts yet), but it would focus on R&B and soul music. A former NBC executive, Jeff Gaspin, is reportedly involved through his Primary Wave Entertainment business.
Spotify's music event picks up where Apple left off
Apple may believe that hosting music festivals is old hat, but don't tell that to Spotify. It just announced Who We Be, an event based around the popular hip-hop and grime playlist (it has 143,000 subscribers) of the same name. The November 30th gathering takes place at London's Alexandra Palace, and will have some of the UK's best-known artists from the scene, including Dizzee Rascal (above), Bugzy Malone and Giggs. If you're intrigued, tickets go on sale 10AM local time on September 11th.
Today's Google Doodle teaches you to scratch and mix on turntables
Google's doodles are an outlet for the company's playful urges. And, even though they've become all too common, the redesigns still manage to pack the odd surprise. Take today's offering, which resembles New York's iconic street graffiti. But, that's not all, click the pulsing play icon at its centre, and the logo transforms into an interactive turntable. Now, you can play DJ, spinning a bunch of records that were instrumental to the creation of hip-hop. An accompanying video tutorial boasts narration from graffiti artist and TV presenter Fab 5 Freddy.
Ebro Darden: the DJ who curates the sound of New York on Beats 1
"Beats 1 worldwide. Always on," Ebro Darden's voice booms on the radio. A little over three months ago, Darden became the voice of New York on Apple Music. When the service was announced, Apple was already late to the music-streaming battle. But it hoped to gain some ground, and listeners, with a human edge. In addition to streaming music on demand and personalized playlists, Apple threw Beats 1 into the mix. The radio station would offer "human curation" in the form of three distinctly different DJs in music capitals of the world. But it also promised a star-studded lineup of hosts who would share their own playlists. Ever since, Drake's OVO Sound Radio has dropped exclusives; St. Vincent's quirky mixtapes have struck a note with fans sending in personal snippets; and Elton John's Rocket Hour has often taken listeners back to a pre-streaming era.
HTC just started a rap battle with Apple and Samsung
Someone, somewhere thought it was a good idea for HTC to make its own hip hop music video. Whoever approved the project might be regretting that decision right now, but never mind -- at least we get a hilariously cringeworthy tune to stick on repeat for the rest of the day. If you're curious, the man dissing the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 in equal measure is Greg Carr (aka "Doc G") of the musical group P.M. Dawn. He's actually the cousin of Attrell Cordes, or Prince Be, who used to lead the hip hop act during their heyday in the '80s and '90s. Oh, and if you're really interested in how this all came together, HTC has even put up an interview with the rapper himself. Now, just head past the break, sit back and enjoy.
Five questions about making music in the modern age with hip-hop producer RJD2
If you've ever watched Don Draper sling back an Old Fashioned, there's a good chance you're familiar with at least one RJD2 track. If you have a taste for instrument-infused breakbeat (and why wouldn't you?), then we assume you've been following his work since at least 2002's Deadringer. Whatever camp you fall into, you're in for a treat at this year's Expand. Not only are we going to chew the fat onstage with Mr. D2, but we're also getting his music into your ears, live. We're too kind. What's more, we've got a little taste of what you might expect from the stage interview. All you need to do is keep readin'.
Hip-hop producer J Dilla's beat-making gear headed to Smithsonian
Last week, the Smithsonian announced two of J Dilla's production tools would be displayed at the upcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture. Thanks to a donation from his mother (pictured above), the influential artist/producer's custom Minimoog Voyager and Akai Music Production Center (MPC) 3000 Limited Edition will be part of a collection that aims "to explore how popular music helped shape the nation's history and culture politically and socially." Before passing away in 2006, J Dilla worked with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, The Pharcyde and many more, creating unique sounds for each in addition to his own solo work. "Everyone who pays attention to hip-hop has heard J Dilla's work whether they realize it or not," said Timothy Ann Burnside, the museum's popular music historian. "In the very demanding world of hip-hop producers, he was one of the busiest and most sought-after." When the museum opens in 2016, Dilla's instruments will be included in the "Musical Crossroads" exhibit -- one of the venue's 11 inaugural collections. If you're unfamiliar with his work, there's a brief introductory Spotify playlist from our Engadget channel just after the break.
Black Milk's digital divide
Before we arrive, his manager, Hex Murda, warns us that the producer's setup is "minimal." It's hard to say, precisely what that means in these days of bedroom superstars, but we've done our best to tamp down expectations in the wake of our visit to the sprawling analog forests of John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studios. Black Milk moved to Dallas from his native Detroit roughly eight months before, to a relatively quiet street 10 minutes from downtown. In spite of having lived in the space for the better part of a year, the apartment has that just-moved-in feel. There aren't many places to sit, unless you're willing to set up camp on top of one of the stacked boxes of Synth or Soul 12-inches he and his girlfriend are packing up ahead of the upcoming Record Store Day. Not exactly the sort of studio environment one anticipates when visiting one of alternative hip-hop's leading producers / MCs with a resume that includes the likes of Slum Village, Guilty Simpson and Jack White. "I'm thinking of extending the studio out there," he tells us. At the moment, there's not a lot in the common area, save for a couch and a TV he says he never really watches. It would be ideal for some additional recording equipment and the drum set he left back in Michigan, assuming the neighbors don't mind, that is. For the time being, however, it's ground zero for Black Milk mail order -- buy something through blackmilk.biz, and there's a pretty good chance it'll be boxed up and shipped out by one of the apartment's two residents.
