music

Raechal Shewfelt
Kanye West tops list of 2019's highest-paid hip-hop artists — by a lot
Kanye West reportedly earned $150 million in the past year, thanks in large part to his Yeezy shoe line with Adidas.
Evening Standard
Mercury Prize 2019: Dave scoops award for debut album Psychodrama
Dave has been named as the winner of this year's Mercury Prize for his debut album Psychodrama.The Streatham rapper, who was joined on stage by his mum as he collected the award, beat off competition from the likes of The 1975, Foals and Anna Calvi at a ceremony at Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith.
USA TODAY Entertainment
Country singer Josh Turner's crew members involved in bus accident that left 1 dead, 7 injured
Crew members for country singer Josh Turner were involved in a crash late Wednesday night after a show, leaving one dead and seven injured.
The Daily Beast
How a White Nationalist Mass Shooting Inspired Janet Jackson’s Masterpiece
Michel Linssen/Redferns/GettyJanet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 is a blockbuster and a landmark album—for Janet, for producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and for its time. It has sold 12 million copies and famously spawned a whopping seven Top 5 hits, but the legacy of Rhythm Nation is deeper and darker than its commercial success. The catalyst for Jackson’s magnum opus was a moment in U.S. history that would come to herald a harsh, ugly facet of contemporary American life. “I remember when we were working on Rhythm Nation with Janet, and we had this concept for a song… We were watching CNN and there had been a school shooting and all these kids had been getting killed and we just thought, we gotta talk about that on a record,” remembered Jimmy Jam.It was Jan. 17, 1989, when white supremacist Patrick Purdy murdered five children and wounded 32 people—mostly Southeast Asian refugees—at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. The tragedy would shock the nation, and occurred just a decade after the similarly-named 1979 Grover Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego, California, when 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on schoolchildren from her apartment window. The Stockton shooting was particularly devastating for the mostly Vietnamese and Cambodian student body and community. “When this happens, as far as a school, it’s not your child who’s been killed,” former Cleveland Elementary School second-grade teacher Julie Schardt said in 2013, recalling that fateful day. “But it’s one of the children you are responsible for. You are the main nourisher. You give them sustenance. Especially in primary—you are a parent. In loco parentis. You’re a counselor. You feed them. You’re a nurse. All of those things.” How Janet Jackson Became an Era-Defining Sex Symbol: ‘I Was Discovering Freedom in Physical Pleasure’The Genius of Missy Elliott, a Pop Visionary Transmitting From the FutureSchardt was one of the teachers that had to identify bodies in the immediate aftermath of the carnage, and never forgot seeing the body of her 8-year-old student, Oeun Lim. “It was such a surreal experience. I remember it was cold, and I remember her red shoes.”It was this horrific incident that inspired Janet Jackson’s topical fourth album Rhythm Nation 1814. A concept album from the production/songwriting duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it remains a standout for Janet. Coming on the heels of the monstrous success of Control—an album that produced five Top-10 singles and landed a nomination for Album Of the Year at the 1987 Grammys—there were high expectations and tremendous pressure for what the youngest Jackson would do for a follow-up. A lot had changed in popular music: the rise of dance-pop divas like Jody Watley and Paula Abdul led to whispers that Janet had been usurped; the emergence of new jack swing had dominated black music in 1988 and into 1989, making the slick, classic Minneapolis sound-inspired gloss of Control seem like yesterday’s news; and perhaps most significantly, hip-hop was suddenly at the forefront of black music and culture, with Public Enemy’s magnum opus It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back courting commendation and controversy by giving voice to black rage at the end of the Reagan era as crack, guns, and the 1990s loomed. A young girl wounded in the chest during the shooting at Cleveland School by Patrick Purdy, being attended to by medical personnel.Michael Chow/The LIFE Images Collection via GettyWith so much shifting in black music, Janet Jackson sought to do something more ambitious than a collection of catchy singles about how grown up she was. Working elbow-to-elbow with Jam and Lewis, they would take the conceptual approach of Nation of Millions and marry it to the hard-hitting brand of new jack swing Jimmy and Terry had showcased expertly on New Edition’s Heart Break album in 1988. This wasn’t going to be a Control sequel, and Janet’s approach to the album was not without hurdles. Before the project could even get off the ground, her adviser and unofficial manager, A&M;’s Director of Urban Music John McClain, complicated things. McClain had guided Janet’s career following the disappointing reception to her first two albums, helping to propel her Control breakthrough. But while the label didn’t want Jackson to buck the formula that made Control work, there was the contradictory issue with McClain, who also didn’t want to pay Jam and Lewis for work on a follow-up. He started Janet on a project with new producers, but the star recognized the potent chemistry she’d had with Jam and Lewis, and cut ties with McClain as her manager before convincing A&M; to bring Jam and Lewis back on board. And she wasn’t interested in rehashing the themes of maturity and independence that had defined her breakthrough album—not with Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing still in theaters and political hip-hop forcing tougher conversations into popular music. And not after what happened in Stockton.Patrick Purdy was a dysfunctional drifter who’d developed a hatred for Asian immigrants and an affiliation with the Aryan Nations. While studying welding in San Diego, Purdy was heard to complain about the number of Asian students. The 24-year-old had an affinity for guns; he and his brother were arrested for shooting semi-automatic weapons in a state park. Around noon on Jan. 17, 1989, Purdy descended upon the elementary school he himself had once attended. After setting his van on fire with a Molotov cocktail, Purdy turned his AK-47 on a schoolyard full of children and opened fire—killing Rathanar Or, age 8; Ram Chun, 8; Sokim An, 6; Thuy Tran, 6; and Oeun Lim, 8.“I remember the trauma of having students killed and wounded on a playground at a school. And a school is supposed to be a safe place for children,” Schardt said this past January, as survivors recalled that fateful day on its 30th anniversary.At a time when most of the biggest black pop stars were making music that seemed almost preoccupied with reaching the whiter regions of the Top 40, Janet was making music that was as unapologetically R&B; as a Bobby Brown album. “Black Cat” notwithstanding, Janet Jackson was firmly planted in the sounds of contemporary R&B.; And it gave her an audience so many “serious” coffee-house favorites of the era wouldn’t have reached.“I feel that most socially conscious artists—like Tracy Chapman, U2—I love their music, but I feel their audience is already socially conscious,” Janet told Rolling Stone in early 1990. “It’s like college kids, that whole thing. I feel that I could reach a different audience, let them know what’s going on and that you have to be a little bit wiser than you are and watch yourself.”For all its topicality, Rhythm Nation isn’t exactly brimming with incendiary rhetoric. Many of the album’s biggest hits—smashes like “Miss You Much,” “Escapade,” “Alright,” “Come Back to Me,” and “Love Will Never Do Without You”—eschew commentary for bright, infectious sentiment; or in the case of the hard-rocker “Black Cat,” dejected aggression. But it’s the recurring themes of poverty, social injustice, child abuse/neglect, and racism that give the album its weight—even with so much romantic effervescence on display. Interludes make clear the album’s sociopolitical spirit, and the title track is the kind of anthem “We Are the World” aspired to be, but it avoids schmaltz with booming Sly & the Family Stone-sampling production and a delivery as aggressive as a Chuck D verse. But “Living in a World They Didn’t Make” is the closest direct reference to the tragedy of Cleveland Elementary. With its emphatic outro of “Save the babies,” the song closes with a news snippet about the shooting:“This just in: at least 5 people are dead, and 30 others wounded, after a gunman opened fire at a California school playground, and then killed himself. Apparently, the gunman, armed with an automatic rifle, shot the kids’ door...”Released on September 19, 1989, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 proved Janet’s superstardom was no fluke; and it proved she had the vision to separate herself from her famous family’s legacy and reinvent herself without seeming calculating or hollow. A commercial and critical smash, it launched Janet into the ‘90s as one of the biggest artists in the world. Albums like Control—and later on, Velvet Rope—were personal affairs that exposed her ambitions and insecurities, but Rhythm Nation showed that she was just as formidable when her focus was outward.“You know, a lot of people have said, ‘She’s not being realistic with this Rhythm Nation,’” she told Rolling Stone. “It’s like ‘Oh, she thinks the world is going to come together through her dance music,’ and that’s not the case at all. I know a song or an album can’t change the world. But there’s nothing wrong with doing what we’re doing to help spread the message.”It’s been three decades since Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, and the tragedy of Stockton is echoed in the horror stories that have unfolded at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas and more. As long as our ugly reality remains tethered to the violence of that day and so many others, that message, however utopian, is still one worth spreading. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Variety
Billie Eilish Talks Depression, Fan Empathy, Soundcloud and Spiders at Grammy Museum
Thinking back Tuesday night at the Grammy Museum on her debut at this past spring's Coachella festival, Billie Eilish noted, “Performing in front of 100,000 people is less intimidating than this. All of these people are very close. Yo, you guys can see all of my pores, for real." It's quite possible the 17-year-old pop […]
Lyndsey Parker
Fab first listen: Giles Martin gives the 'Friends' theme an orchestral Abbey Road makeover
The 25th anniversary single’s cover art even features the famous 'Friends' couch stretched across the Abbey Road crosswalk.
Erin Donnelly
Navy confirms that objects in former Blink-182 rocker Tom DeLonge's videos are 'unidentified aerial phenomena'
The former Blink-182 singer founded the To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences to study UFOs and extraterrestrial life.
Chris Willman
Taylor Swift Announces U.S. Tour for 2020 — And It’s Only Hitting Two Cities
Taylor Swift was widely expected to tour in 2020, following this year's release of "Lover," as she traditionally has in the year after she puts an album out. Swift has indeed announced her concert lineup for next year — but it only includes four U.S. dates. She'll perform July 25-26 at SoFi Stadium in Los […]
Kylie Mar
Beyoncé's 'Making the Gift' special reveals rare videos of Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter
The Beyhive was buzzing on social media over Beyoncé's "Making the Gift" documentary as Blue Ivy stole the show.
Lyndsey Parker
Ric Ocasek’s cause of death, sweet final drawing revealed
The autopsy findings coincide with two touching social media posts by the Ocasek family that have provided deeper insight in the singer-songwriter’s final hours.
Raechal Shewfelt
Kenny G says he's making music with Kanye West: 'I can't really say much'
The saxophonist and the rapper are collaborating on new music, the adult contemporary favorite told the Dallas Observer in a new interview.
Lyndsey Parker
Since you’re gone: Remembering the Cars' rock pioneer Ric Ocasek, dead at age 75
Ocasek’s hiccuppy vocals, deadpan delivery, edgy pop smarts, and cool-cat persona made the Cars one of the most important bands not just of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but of all time.
Erin Donnelly
Singer Ric Ocasek of The Cars has died at age 75
The NYPD has confirmed the news of the rocker's death.
Variety
ABC Announces Behind-the-Scenes Special for Beyoncé’s ‘Lion King’ LP
ABC has announced a new behind-the-scenes look into the making of Beyoncé's "The Lion King: The Gift" LP, which is set to air September 16 on ABC at 10 p.m. EST. Titled "Beyoncé Presents: Making the Gift," the new hour-long special will allow viewers to "experience the process" behind the "Lion King" companion album, according […]
Lyndsey Parker
Remembering ‘Puttin’ on the Hits,’ the most bonkers TV talent show of all time
Decades before 'Lip Sync Battle' or RuPaul demanded that drag queens lip-sync for their lives, there was 'Puttin’ on the Hits.'
Lyndsey Parker
Rock legend Eddie Money dead at age 70
His death comes only one month after he announced that that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.
Variety
Eddie Money, ‘Two Tickets to Paradise’ Singer, Dies at 70
Eddie Money, the prolific singer and songwriter whose songs "Baby Hold On," "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Shakin'" and "Take Me Home Tonight" soundtracked popular music in the 1980s, died Friday (Sept. 13). He was 70. A statement provided by his family reads: "The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this […]
Elle
Fans Think Miley Cyrus Sent Liam Hemsworth a Message in Her New Song With Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey
"Don't call me angel when I'm a mess..."
Yahoo Entertainment Staff
The It List: Jennifer Lopez's stripper film 'Hustlers' out in theaters, 'American Beauty' turns 20, Dennis Rodman gets ESPN doc and the best in pop culture the week of September 9, 2019
The It List is Yahoo’s weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for Sept. 9-15, including the best deals we could find for each.
Lyndsey Parker
The tables turn for Ryan Tedder on dramatic 'Songland' finale
To be willing to hand the reins over to another songwriter demonstrated the OneRepublic frontman's trust in the 'Songland' process — a trust shared by NBC, which just renewed the show.
The Wrap
Daniel Johnston, Legendary Austin Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 58
Daniel Johnston, the legendary Austin-based singer/songwriter and visual artists who was the subject of the 2005 documentary “The Devil & Daniel Johnston,” has died from a heart attack Tuesday night at the age of 58. Johnston’s manager, Dick Johnston, confirmed the news of Johnston’s death to TheWrap.Johnston’s lo-fi, quirky folk tunes were covered by the likes Tom Waits, Pearl Jam and Yo La Tengo. Kurt Cobain could be counted as a supporter, most notably when he was spotted wearing a t-shirt sporting Johnston’s “Hi How Are You” album cover.Born in Sacramento before moving to West Virginia and finally settling in Austin in the 1980s, Johnston first rose to prominence in Texas for his home-recorded albums, beginning with 1981’s “Songs of Pain.” He had 17 albums overall. Johnston’s last album, 2012’s “Space Ducks,” featured a slew of guest musicians including Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Eleanor Friedberger, Deer Tick, Fruit Bats, and Lavender Diamond.Also Read: Haley Smith, Former 'American Idol' Contestant, Dies at 26In 2005, “The Devil & Daniel Johnston” doc sparked new interest in the singer. The film outlined Johnston’s struggles with manic depression and schizophrenia. It also showcased an immensely talented songwriter who was embraced by a rabid cult following.In recent years, according to the Austin Chronicle, his physical health deteriorated — which included falling, hospitalization and frequent adjustments to his medication, his sister Margy Johnston said.His final tour took place in 2017, where he was supported by the likes of Jeff Tweedy & Friends, Built To Spill, the Preservation All-Stars, Ben Lee, the Districts and Modern Baseball.Also Read: Roky Erickson, 13th Floor Elevators Singer, Dies at 71A tribute to Johnston, which took place in Austin in January to celebrate his 58th birthday featured the likes of Flaming Lips, the Black Angels, Gavin DeGraw, Bob Mould among others.Johnston had been working on a new album with Austin-based producer Brian Beattie for “years” he told the Chronicle and Vulture reported in April that the album would be titled “If.”Read original story Daniel Johnston, Legendary Austin Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 58 At TheWrap
Rolling Stone
Daniel Johnston, Cult Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 58
Outsider music hero had been hospitalized with a kidney malfunction before his death of natural causes
Taryn Ryder
Jennifer Lopez reportedly in talks for Super Bowl Halftime Show
A source says "it's a possibility" Lopez performs the 2020 halftime show.
Lyndsey Parker
How Tom Petty helped Rosanna Arquette mourn Alexis Arquette’s death: ‘That was such a beautiful gift’
When transgender actress Alexis Arquette died, Petty comforted Alexis’s sister... and later paid tribute to Alexis at his final concert.
Rolling Stone
Hear Lana Del Rey Cover Ariana Grande’s ‘Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored’
Del Rey will release Charlie's Angels song with Grande, Miley Cyrus this Friday

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