It looks like Jay Z has pulled off an acquisition of Swedish streaming companyAspiro, which runsTidalandWiMP.
Billboard reports that Jay made a $56 million bid earlier this year that was initially almost rejected because minority shareholders weren't keep on the idea of global expansion, nor the calculations that went into the initial bid.
That hurdle has been cleared, according toBillboard. Jay is acquiring the company viaShawn Carter EnterprisessubsidiaryProject Panther Bidco.
Aspiro's mission statement, per their website.
Aspiro is a media technology company at the forefront of the ongoing redefinition of music consumption. Through its subscription service WiMP, the company offers a complete music experience with HiFi quality audio and integrated editorial, magazine and video. In parallel, Aspiro is a content provider to the online media industry through RADR, helping its partners to attract and retain visitors on their websites.
The Aspiro Group delivers a subscription-based streaming service (WiMP Music) through direct B2C sales channels as well as indirect channels through telecom and cable partners. The company also operates a video content syndication platform (RADR Music News) that facilitates content monetization between publishers and content owners through advertising.
What Jay's plans to do with the company is not clear as of yet.
Akron, Ohio police are searching for a serial offender. No, he hasn't actually harmed anyone, but he's left a stinking mess all over the city.
The Akron News reports that an unidentified man has been shitting in and on cars for the last three years. Cops may be closing in on him though after his face was caught in the act as he took a dump on a vehicle.
"I know quite a few people who have had their children's toys and their cars defecated on," Tricia Norasaeng, who runs the Castle Homes Facebook page, "Yeah, it's a problem, it's been going on for a while now, so I'm glad someone finally got a picture of it. I don't think a lot of people knew it was happening to other people. When you come outside when you have poop on your slide, or poop on your car, I don't think a lot of people thought to call police."
Akron policeLt. Rick Edwardssays the poop offender began his reign of smelly terror in the Castle Homes area starting in 2012. He's determined to put a stop to it.
"The reason that we want to put it out there and identify who this person is," Lt. Edwards says, "is either (to) charge them in these incidents, or find out if they do have mental health issues and get them the proper treatment, so this behavior doesn't continue."
If caught the man will be charged with criminal mischief and other crimes.
The Queen of R&B/Soul is back with an official music video to uplift and let people know they should never "Doubt" themselves. This is off of Mary J. Blige's album, The London Sessions.
Nicki Minaj's former boyfriend Safaree Samuels a.k.a. Scaff Beezy didn't get a warm welcome during a recent trip to Brooklyn, New York. The Queens native was met by local goons who didn't appreciate him coming through without showing love to the hood.
FERGUSON, Mo. (Associated Press) — Two law enforcement officers were shot around midnight at a Ferguson, Missouri, protest outside of the city police department, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said.
Belmar said a 32-year-old officer from suburban Webster Groves was shot in the face and a 41-year-old officer from St. Louis County was shot in the shoulder. Both were taken to a local hospital, where Belmar said they were conscious. He said he did not have further details about their conditions but described their injuries as "very serious."
Belmar said he did not know who shot the officers.
The shots were fired as protesters had gathered following the resignation of Ferguson's embattled Police Chief Thomas Jackson on Wednesday.
Jackson was the sixth employee to resign or be fired after a Justice Department report cleared a white former Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, of civil rights charges in the shooting of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson last summer. Wilson has since resigned. A separate Justice Department report found a profit-driven court system and widespread racial bias in the city police department.
Mayor James Knowles III announced Wednesday that the city had reached a mutual separation agreement with Jackson that will pay Jackson one year of his nearly $96,000 annual salary and health coverage. Jackson's resignation becomes effective March 19, at which point Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff will become acting chief while the city searches for a replacement.
Jackson had previously resisted calls by protesters and some of Missouri's top elected leaders to step down over his handling of Brown's shooting and the weeks of sometimes-violent protests that followed. He was widely criticized from the outset, both for an aggressive police response to protesters and for his agency's erratic and infrequent releases of key information.
He took nearly a week to publicly identify Wilson as the shooter and then further heightened tension in the community by releasing Wilson's name at the same time as store security video that police said showed Brown stealing a box of cigars and shoving a clerk only a short time before his death.
During a 12-minute news conference, Knowles said Jackson resigned after "a lot of soul-searching" about how the community could heal from the racial unrest stemming from the fatal shooting last summer.
"The chief is the kind of honorable man you don't have to go to," Knowles said. "He comes to you when he knows that this is something we have to seriously discuss."
The acting head of the Justice Department's civil rights division released a statement saying the U.S. government remains committed to reaching a "court-enforceable agreement" to address Ferguson's "unconstitutional practices," regardless of who's in charge of the city.
A U.S. law enforcement official said Wednesday the Justice Department had not pressured or encouraged Jackson to resign during meetings with him but had also not resisted the idea. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing meetings between the Justice Department and the police department.
The resignation was welcomed by state lawmakers who represent Ferguson.
"There would be a lot of people that would approve of that," said Democratic state Rep. Sharon Pace, who represents the neighborhood where Brown was shot.
Jackson oversaw the Ferguson force for nearly five years before the shooting that stirred months of unrest across the St. Louis region and drew global attention to the predominantly black city of 21,000.
In addition to Jackson, Ferguson's court clerk was fired last week and two police officers resigned. The judge who oversaw the court system also resigned, and the City Council on Tuesday agreed to a separation agreement with the city manager.
01. Kid Ink Feat. Dej Loaf - Be Real 02. Kid Ink Feat. Trey Songz - About Mine 03. Kid Ink Feat. R. Kelly - Dolo 04. JBling - FWYLD 05. IamCompton Feat. Rich Homie Quan - Turn It Up 06. Chris Brown Feat. Tyga & Pusha T - D.G.I.F.U 07. Chris Brown Feat. Tyga & Boosie Baddazz - Real One 08. Chris Brown Feat. Tyga & ScHoolBoy Q - Bitchs & Marijuana 09. Kid Red Feat. Chris Brown - Fool With It 10. Famous Trap (LJ Trap) - This Is My Life 11. Mr. White Dog Feat. Teeflii - Thirstayee 12. Rayven Justice - F*ck Or Nah 13. AV Feat. John Hart - Young Nigga In Love 14. Ty Dolla $ign Feat. Charli XCX & Tinashe - Drop That Kitty 15. OT Genasis Feat. Meek Mill & Young Jeezy - Coco (Remix) 16. Problem Feat. Kc Why Not - 100 Boyz 17. Avenue OB - All Day [Prod. By League Of Starz] 18. Kendrick Lamar - The Blacker The Berry 19. Tyga Feat. Rich Homie Quan, Kid Ink, Wale & YG - Ride Out
Nick Jame$ follows up his recent media push the official release of his latest mixtape New World Order. The new tape has appearances fromThe Jacka, Kidd Upstairs and many more. "Put In Work" still serves as his lead single as the release the full project is now available. Click the link the below to download.
While Kanye West is working on his forthcoming album, So Help Me God, there was a report this morning that he had his laptop stolen in Paris. One of his G.O.O.D Music artist Malik Yusef tweeted that private investigators were on the job.
The loss of a laptop for a musician is a big deal because a lot of their music is usually stored on it. Nevertheless, Def Jam is denying the rumor and says the leak of the song "Awesome" is not connected. Check out the tune below.
Here's some new heat fromO.B.H.bossAr-Ab. King Ab teams up withShy Glizzyfor a new collaboration entitled"Forbes List."This is off Ab's forthcoming project,Mud Muzik 2, dropping on March 23rd.
ForEminemfans and collectors of vinyl records this should be great news. The Detroit emcee will be releasing all 10 copies of his albums on the almost forgotten platform.
Slim made the announcement via hisInstagram account on Tuesday, March 10.
"The Official Eminem Box Set coming Thursday, featuring all 10 of Em’s studio releases. Sign up for the email list to get early access to the sale: http://shady.sr/BoxSetEmail."
No word on availability. It might be a good idea to sign up now.
The two students expelled from the University of Oklahoma for being in a group of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members caught on video making a racist chant have been identified as 20-year old Levi Pettit and Parker Rice, 19. Both men are from Dallas.
In the video a group of SAE members chant, "There will never be a nigger at SAE. You can hang 'em from a tree but they'll never sign with me."
“I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same. On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media.
“I know everyone wants to know why or how this happened. I admit it likely was fueled by alcohol consumed at the house before the bus trip, but that’s not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesn’t work as an explanation. It’s more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didn’t do. I didn’t say no, and I clearly dismissed an important value I learned at my beloved high school, Dallas Jesuit. We were taught to be ‘Men for Others.’ I failed in that regard, and in those moments, I also completely ignored the core values and ethics I learned from my parents and others.
“At this point, all I can do is be thoughtful and prayerful about my next steps, but I am also concerned about the fraternity friends still on campus. Apparently, they are feeling unsafe and some have been harassed by others. Hopefully, the university will protect them.
“For me, this is a devastating lesson and I am seeking guidance on how I can learn from this and make sure it never happens again. My goal for the long-term is to be a man who has the heart and the courage to reject racism wherever I see or experience it in the future.
“Thank you for your consideration of my deepest apologies for what I did.”
Levi Pettit
Pettit's family issued a statement on behalf of their son
“As parents of Levi, we love him and care for him deeply,” says the statement, which has also been posted on this website. “He made a horrible mistake, and will live with the consequences forever. However, we also know the depth of our son’s character. He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting. While it may be difficult for those who only know Levi from the video to understand, we know his heart, and he is not a racist. We raised him to be loving and inclusive and we all remain surrounded by a diverse, close-knit group of friends.
“We were as shocked and saddened by this news as anyone. Of course, we are sad for our son — but more importantly, we apologize to the community he has hurt. We would also like to apologize to the — entire African American community, University of Oklahoma student body and administration. Our family has the responsibility to apologize, and also to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Our words will only go so far — as a family, we commit to following our words with deeds.
“To our friends and family, thank you for your kind comments and prayers. They are very comforting in this difficult time.
“We ask that the media and public please respect our family’s privacy as we come together to heal and determine next steps.”
The fallout from this embarrassing saga may not be over for OU. SchoolPresident David Borenindicated that more SAE members could face the same fate as Rice and Pettit.
“I have emphasized that there is zero tolerance for this kind of threatening racist behavior at the University of Oklahoma. I hope that the entire nation will join us in having zero tolerance of such racism when it raises its ugly head in other situations across our country. I am extremely proud of the reaction and response expressed by our entire university family - students,faculty, staff, and alumni about this incident. They are “Real Sooners” who believe in mutual respect for all. I hope that students involved in this incident will learn from this experience and realize that it is wrong to use words to hurt, threaten, and exclude other people. We will continue our investigation of all the students engaged in the singing of this chant. Once their identities have been confirmed, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action,” Boren said in a news release.
The honeymoon is barely over and former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson is already headed for divorce court.
TMZ Sports reports that his estranged wife, Jennifer Conrad, filed legal documents on March 3rd in L.A. County Superior Court. She cites the usual "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.
The two were married last August, but have been separated since February. Conrad signed a prenup prior to the marriage. It's unclear what kind of financial arrangements are in place.
The soon-to-be ex couple have two children, ages 2 and 5. Conrad is asking for joint legal custody.
Johnson played wide receiver in the NFL for 11 years after being selected with the number one overall pick by the New York Jets in the 1996 draft.
Known for his cocky attitude, Johnson released a book entitled Just Give Me the Damn Ball!: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie in 1997.
Wiz Khalifa and his Taylor Gang artist Ty Dolla $ign have linked up for a joint EP entitled Talk About It in the Morning, dropping later this month. Check out the first single, "Post Up."
Kendrick Lamar'shighly anticipated sophomore album arrives in stores on March 23. The Compton rapper took to hisInstagram account to reveal it's album cover and possible title in the pic's caption.
"Don't all dogs go to heaven? Don't Gangsta's boogie? Do owl shit stank? Lions, Tigers & Bears. But TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY. Its the American dream nigga...." - lil Homie.
Lil Bibby and Lil Herb a.k.a. G-Herbo are two of Chicago's best emcess. The duo team up for "Ain't Heard Bout You (Kill Shit Pt.2)." Music video shot by A Zae Production.
LOS ANGELES (Associated Press) — A jury awarded Marvin Gaye's children nearly $7.4 million Tuesday after determining singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams copied their father's music to create "Blurred Lines," the biggest hit song of 2013.
Marvin Gaye's daughter Nona Gaye wept as the verdict was being read and was hugged by her attorney, Richard Busch.
"Right now, I feel free," Nona Gaye said after the verdict. "Free from ... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told."
Nona Gaye
The verdict could tarnish the legacy of Williams, a reliable hit-maker who has won Grammy Awards and appears on NBC's music competition show "The Voice."
An attorney for Thicke and Williams has said a decision in favor of Gaye's heirs could have a chilling effect on musicians who try to emulate an era or another artist's sound.
The Gayes' lawyer branded Williams and Thicke liars who went beyond trying to emulate the sound of Gaye's late-1970s music and copied the R&B legend's hit "Got to Give It Up" outright.
"They fought this fight despite every odd being against them," Busch said of the Gaye family outside court.
Thicke told jurors he didn't write "Blurred Lines," which Williams testified he crafted in about an hour in mid-2012.
Williams told jurors that Gaye's music was part of the soundtrack of his youth. But the seven-time Grammy winner said he didn't use any of it to create "Blurred Lines."
Gaye's children — Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III — sued the singers in 2013 and were present when the verdict was read.
The verdict may face years of appeals.
"Blurred Lines" has sold more than 7.3 million copies in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures. It earned a Grammy Awards nomination and netted Williams and Thicke millions of dollars.
The case was a struggle between two of music's biggest names: Williams has sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his career as a singer-producer, and Gaye performed hits such as "Sexual Healing" and "How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You)" remain popular.
During closing arguments, Busch accused Thicke and Williams of lying about how the song was created. He told jurors they could award Gaye's children millions of dollars if they determined the copyright to "Got to Give It Up" was infringed.
Howard King, lead attorney for Williams and Thicke, told the panel that a verdict in favor of the Gaye family would have a chilling effect on musicians who were trying to recreate a genre or homage to another artist's sound.
King denied there were any substantial similarities between "Blurred Lines" and the sheet music Gaye submitted to obtain copyright protection.
Williams has become a household name — known simply as Pharrell — thanks to his hit song "Happy" and his work as a judge on the "The Voice." He wrote the majority of "Blurred Lines" and recorded it in one night with Thicke. A segment by rapper T.I. was added later.
Williams, 41, also signed a document stating he didn't use any other artists' work in the music and would be responsible if a successful copyright claim was raised.
Thicke testified he wasn't present when the song was written, despite receiving credit.
The trial focused on detailed analyses of chords and notes in both "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up."
Jurors repeatedly heard the upbeat song "Blurred Lines" and saw snippets of its music video, but Gaye's music was represented during the trial in a less polished form. Jurors did not hear "Got to Give It Up" as Gaye recorded it, but rather a version created based solely on sheet music submitted to gain copyright protection.
That version lacked many of the elements — including Gaye's voice — that helped make the song a hit in 1977. Busch derisively called the version used in court a "Frankenstein-like monster" that didn't accurately represent Gaye's work.
An expert for the Gaye family said there were eight distinct elements from "Got to Give It Up" that were used in "Blurred Lines," but an expert for Williams and Thicke denied those similarities existed.
Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyrights to his music.
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