Sony Music Entertainment, the American label powered by Beyonce, Pink, Usher and more, has much to celebrate this year.

How sales of Bey’s music have bolstered the business’ profits?

Brilliant news below…

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“They dropped me.”

These are the words of Chrisette Michele, who has announced that she’s been let go by her record label – just days after releasing a new single.

Doing away with the silence most artists greet said news with, she took to social media to not only reveal her predicament, but to vent about it too.

And let’s just say that she’s making a direct correlation with the backlash she received for performing at Donald Trump‘s inauguration.

Her words below…

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Atlantic Records, the label which houses the rising rapper Cardi B, has been slammed by the hit maker Metro Boomin who has accused them of being deeply unscrupulous.

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Kelly Rowland fans no doubt have a PHD in patience. For, it’s been almost five years since the singer released her last album ‘Talk A Good Game.’

In the time since, she’s become a mother, toggled between TV projects, other entrepreneurial endeavours, and recording her next LP.

Now, as she gears up RNB Live Tour in Australia, she’s updated

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The rapper/ Reality TV star Yung Joc has been mocked by critics who have named him Yung Jocandra after footage of him sporting a prom dress surfaced online.

A surprising story below…

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Jojo has proven herself quite the fighter over her career, so it’s only fitting her comeback narratives continues to pencil in “wins.”

After launching her long-awaited third album, ‘Mad Love’ (courtesy of Atlantic Records), last year to critical acclaim (and a top 10 debut on the Billboard 200), the singer is getting more of that – mad love – from other major record labels in the industry, namely Interscope.

There, the Urban pop powerhouse has inked a deal to launch her own imprint.  See the details inside:

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This week, the beloved ‘Black Lives Matter’ activist Deray McKesson took to Twitter to reveal that he believed he had been slighted by the minds behind ‘Planet of the Apes.’

His tweets, which cited Hollywood’s undeniable efforts to endorse scientific racism as his cause for concern, saw him garner the support of those who felt he had been slighted by the movie.

Fortunately it wasn’t long before movie buffs took to social media to ease Deray’s fears by explaining that the character many believed had been based on his appearance was actually inspired by another set of characters in the franchise.

Where Whoopi Goldberg comes into play?

Hurt by her abrasiveness, Deray replied with…

.@WhoopiGoldberg, if you have something to say, I’m here.

— deray mckesson (@deray) July 12, 2017

After speaking with even more people about the history of the film, I deleted the tweets.

— deray mckesson (@deray) July 12, 2017

Things have now taken a turn for the worst. For, after teasing McKesson for not doing his research into the movie’s history before tweeting, social media has turned on Whoopi Goldberg for her supposed “eagerness” to tear him down.

Why? Her supposed habit of turning a blind-eye to veiled-racism in her industry.

Much as I love @WhoopiGoldberg she has had coon tendencies since forever. That was so out of line in my opinion. If he’s wrong, then educate

— ⚡Branden⚡ (@Beeyezzy) July 12, 2017

Whoopi Goldberg is a legend but she’s such a coon and it makes me sad.

— Dawn シ (@treasurxdawn) June 18, 2017

Whoopie is problematic as fuck. She was cool with her boyfriend Ted Danson in black face.

— Brian (@buzzbear1971) July 12, 2017

@karenhunter I have tuned Whoopi Goldberg out ever since she had Ted Dansen dress up in black face

— ✊ WiseGuyEddie (@WiseGuyEddie) July 12, 2017

Whoopi Goldberg let Ted Danson tell nigger jokes while wearing black face so I’m not even checking for her feelings on deray. #next

— Cuntess Vaughn (@jerzeegurl77) July 12, 2017

Didn’t Whoopi Goldberg defend Ted Danson after that blackface incident?

— NOT Jae Crowder (@el_budget) July 12, 2017

you had a global moment to educate the ENTIRE world about subtle racism in entertainment @WhoopiGoldberg and you took the payoff instead smh pic.twitter.com/4kfOU0pIZ1

— Sensible Azealia USA (@AzealiaRebelius) July 13, 2017

i think whoopi has something personal against you just by the way she reacted. u know she had to show out for white mommy and daddy smh

— curtis malone (@akronbred) July 12, 2017

Her unusual story colors her perception about the plight of racism. She seems to take the position good fortune gave her & hers for granted

— Confunkshun (@DEFStories) July 12, 2017

“You’re ignoring the history of the Planet of the Apes movies!!”

Me: You’re ignoring the history of Black people being called apes. pic.twitter.com/L4z5MHZNnL

— April (@ReignOfApril) July 11, 2017

Agreed. Correct him & debate in private. I hate when two intelligent, influential members of the community dispute minor issues in public

— Miss C (@UBUIBMissC) July 13, 2017

She’s also cool with cultural appropriation.

— Brian (@buzzbear1971) July 12, 2017

Do you agree?

Fifth Harmony have had an eventful 12 months – and are opening up about their rollercoaster in the newest issue of Billboard magazine.

Last year, the group broke new ground when their hit ‘Work From Home’ became the first top 10 by a girlband in almost a decade. However, controversy followed come the end of 2016 when Camila Cabello departed in dramatic fashion.

With comeback single ‘Down’ serving as a summer sizzler, the ladies are promising a fiercely personal housing album – a project they’ve written over half of.

Ahead of its arrival, the quad do away with the political correctness and wax candid about a whole host of topics.

Peep excerpts below…

On Camila’s Exit & The Aftermath:

“Try experiencing it,” retorts Lauren Jauregui. The rest of the group, as it so often does, rushes in to complete her thought. “I was literally going to say that,” Normani Kordei quickly adds. “I get to sleep at night knowing we did everything in our power as friends, bandmates and human beings” to make it work. Then Ally Hernandez: “You can’t change people.” And finally, Dinah Jane Hansen: “Let’s just say we’re in a better place now — there are no secrets in this circle.”

On Making Key Business Changes & Weathering Label Issues:

The long road to liberation began with 5H hiring outspoken music lawyer Dina LaPolt at the end of 2015. “I sat the girls in a hotel conference room and for five hours educated them on trademarks, copyrights and rights of publicity,” says LaPolt, who soon helped secure them new management with the preeminent firm Maverick (Madonna, U2, Miley Cyrus). “Then I educated them about every agreement they signed, which [were] the worst I’ve ever seen in the music business.”

LaPolt successfully transferred the Fifth Harmony trademark from Cowell to the group, meaning the women now own the name, along with the right to control how it is used and to profit from any deals. (The agreement — signed in April 2016, months ahead of Cabello’s exit — doesn’t name Cabello in the “Fifth Harmony Partnership.” “I don’t represent Camila,” is all LaPolt will say.) She then renegotiated 5H’s contract with Epic, which she characterized as “a very adversarial” process.

LaPolt and 5H stress that the group’s relationship with Epic is now good. The women count among their “saviors” the label’s senior vp A&R Chris Anokute, who came onboard near the end of making 7/27. “We raised our voices,” says Hansen, “and to have someone in our corner like Chris, who believes in us, is the most important element to make the wheels go.”

On Solo Ventures:

“Last year, we all learned a lesson about mental health and making sure you step away from something. It just makes this stronger,” says Jauregui. “Fifth Harmony is the home base,” offers Kordei, “where we always come back.” “Yasss,” says Hernandez.

Elsewhere, 5H reveal they have teamed up with the likes of Skrillex, Pooh Bear (Justin Bieber), and Harmony Samuels (Destiny’s Child, Ariana Grande, Ciara) on their third LP.

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The complete interview definitely makes for a riveting read and provides ample insight into the fuller picture of the 5H narrative.

They definitely have a lot of mileage left as a four-piece, so here’s hoping their upcoming campaign hits the mark.

Your thoughts?

It’s been an uphill battle for Iggy Azalea in her quest for a comeback hit.

Indeed, despite a smudge of buzz, nothing has “stuck” – a fact fans have been blaming on her team.

Wherever the issue lay, it’s led many to believe her sophomore album ‘Digital Distortion’ will be dead on arrival.

And, according to the rapper herself, that’s exactly what’ll be happening as she confirmed that her label will be releasing no further songs from the project.

The revelation came on Twitter in a series of responses to concerned supporters:

So, in essence, the LP is coming but without any more singles pre-or-post release.

Put simply, it sounds like a literal case of fulfilling a contractual obligation.

In a way we feel for Iggy because the music – love her or loathe her – has not been bad. Indeed, in the case of ‘Switch’ especially, she’s actually been bringing the hotness.

What’s more, the promotion – though seemingly plentiful – rarely felt strategized. Like, why has she been performing songs with no lyric or music video? It’s all rather…odd.

Still, the reality is that the music business is exactly that – a business.

Hence, if the label are not making a return on their investment and don’t foresee that ever happening, then it’s logical why they’d throw the album out without much fanfare.

The lesson for Iggy to chew and swallow is that, as an artist, she has to create her own buzz and likability by any means necessary. Because in today’s climate that’s almost as – if not more – important than the material she’s churning out.

Your thoughts?

As rising stars go, few are burning as bright as SZA.

And this week she’s gearing up to blaze rays of new music in the form of her debut album ‘CTRL.’

Arriving this Friday (via TDE/RCA), the hotly anticipated set has been earmarked as one of R&B’s most notable releases.

Hitting the promotional pavement in support of the project, the songstress stopped by The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1.

A fascinating insight into an exciting talent, SZA dished on her LP, the romantic experiences that form much of its subject matter, label drama, losing 200lbs, being a practising muslim, and much more.

Check out the full interview below. It’s a great watch.

‘CTRL’ hits stores June 9th.

Your thoughts?

It looks like ‘Switch’ rapper Iggy Azalea found out her label home has hit the off switch on her serially delayed sophomore album, ‘Digital Distortion.’

The set – kicked off by three nonperforming singles ‘Team,’ ‘Switch,’ and ‘Mo Bounce’ – is no longer on Def Jam’s priority list, Azalea revealed on a recent Snapchat.  This, reportedly thanks in part to a recent leak that saw the album’s content hit the net in full an entire month before its previously announced June 30th release date.

Iggy didn’t say what the exact cause was, but she did reach out to her fans to give them an update.   Hear it from her lips:

Iggy Says That The head of @IslandRecords Does more than her own record label *tea ??
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Iggy Vi Snapchat ? pic.twitter.com/yKHN3OVshA

— IGGY AZALEA (@IggysUpdates) May 31, 2017

June 2nd Was The Pre-order Link & June 30th The actual Release date
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But the label is doing a messy a job and Iggy is being ignored
–
? pic.twitter.com/5OfNP5Nvnz

— IGGY AZALEA (@IggysUpdates) May 31, 2017

*****

Ouch!  This is a bonafide mess.  Keep in mind, after the nonperformance of ‘Team’ last year the rapper reportedly scrapped the original version of ‘Digital Distortion’ to create an entirely new body of work.  If the label has opted not to go forward with June 30th release of the project, this means she literally would have two albums’ (worth of material) shelved in just a year’s time.

Here’s hoping this is sorted out quickly as time is of the essence for Miss Azalea.

Your thoughts?

In a surprising move, it has been reported that Fergie has officially left Interscope – her longtime recording home.

Billed as a “mutual decision,” the star’s departure ends a ten year tenure at the Universal Music imprint, which is also home to her group The Black Eyed Peas.

The news comes after a start-stop roll-out of Fergie’s second studio album ‘Double Duchess’ – which is still yet to hit stores.

Though confirmation is incoming, sources reveal that the singer is moving to BMG to launch her own record label. Said indie imprint has enjoyed chart-topping success in recent years with releases from the likes of Janet Jackson [‘Unbreakable’] and Blink 182.

No word on where this leaves Fergie in regards to the Peas, who are presumably still with Interscope as a group. [Source]

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Clearly something has been awry between Fergie and her former home.

She launched the still blazing ‘LA Love (La La)’ in 2014. Twenty Fourteen. And all that’s followed has been a succession of songs – varying in quality – that were poorly rolled out and not promoted at all.

Where the blame lay is anyone’s guess.

However, it’s – at the very least – warming to hear that she’s making moves of some sort.

Your thoughts?