• The Bestiary Tour: Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic Announce US Dates [SCHEDULE]

    Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic have been doing their thing under the Hail Mary Mallon moniker for a few years, and the duo will release their second album, "Bestiary," Nov. 14.AR is a slippery guy: He does not do many interviews. But Rob recently spoke with Potholes in My Blog about his sound:"I do sample, but never too much of one thing," Sonic said. "I do not loop things longer than a few seconds, outside of what I play on my own. I have things like melodies and bass lines already in my head. The samples [of other people] just help me get to that point. Kind of.
  • Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson Of Sugarhill Gang Dies At 57

    Sugarhill Gang founding member Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson died today (Nov. 11) at the age of 57. The New York rapper suffered kidney complications due to cancer, which he had been battling for some time, according to Fox News. Jackson formed the Sugarhill hang with Master Gee and Wonder Mic and recorded the hit 1979 song "Rapper's Delight," which is largely regarded as the first rap record and sold several million copies worldwide, establishing rap as the mainstream genre it is today.
  • Usher, Nick Jonas and Jeff Daniels Played 'Pyramid' with Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show' [WATCH]

    The star-studded lineup of Usher, Nick Jonas and Jeff Daniels stopped by "The Tonight Show" last night, Nov. 10, to play the old TV game show classic "Pyramid" with Jimmy Fallon. The "Yeah" singer teamed up the "Dumb and Dumber To" star while Jonas joined Fallon.Here is what we learned from the bout in the video below:1. Daniels cannot dance (2:20).2. Jonas does not know a single gangster film because, as Fallon says, "He's 15 years old" (3:20).3. Fallon picked some bad lines to reference "Goodfellas" (3:48).4. Jonas takes a canteen to work (6:12).5. Daniels does not know much about R&B/soul music, which is probably a good thing since he cannot dance (7:19).
  • Spotify Co-Founder Responds to Taylor Swift, Says Singer Could've Made $6 Million from Streaming

    Taylor Swift pulled her catalogue from Spotify last week, which set off a nationwide debate over the music streaming service."If I had streamed the new album, it's impossible to try to speculate what would have happened," Swift said. "But all I can say is that music is changing so quickly, and the landscape of the music industry itself is changing so quickly, that everything new, like Spotify, all feels to me a bit like a grand experiment. And I'm not willing to contribute my life's work to an experiment that I don't feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music. And I just don't agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free."On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Spotify co-founder Daniel Elk offered a rebuttal and estimated that Swift would have made $6 million from Spotify streaming by the end of the year.His argument included "three myths," including "free music for fans means artists don't get paid."Elk believes that Spotify's free service leads to more premium subscribers, and therefore more cash for artists.
  • Ne-Yo Says Rihanna's New Album Is 'Absolutely Incredible'

    Speaking on U.K. radio station Capital XTRA in London over the weekend after a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall during the week, singer/songwriter Ne-Yo spoke about his work, past and present, with Rihanna. They get him on the record on a variety of topics, including various beefs between artists, but get to focus on future Rihanna music and what his involvement in it might be.He is coy in his response, as always, because he does not want to divulge too many details, but gives us his impression on some of the new material he has heard. He reveals he has done some sessions for her, but does not know whether or not they will make the final cut of the album. Giving his overall impression of the work he has heard, he says it is "absolutely incredible."
  • Yo Gotti Shares New Song '11/11' Produced by Infamous [LISTEN]

    Yo Gotti's upcoming studio album "The Art of Hustle" was originally promised for release today, Nov. 11, but if that does not end up happening, at least we have a new leak from the album, appropriately titled "11/11," which you can check out below. The Infamous-produced song features an eerie beat reminiscent of minimalist composers such as Philip Glass or Steve Reich, so this does not quite sound like your typical hip-hop track.You can check out Yo Gotti's "11/11" here:The Art of Hustle will be Yo Gotti's seventh studio album overall, his first since 2013's "I Am." Prior to "11/11," two other songs have also been shared from the album: "Errbody" and "I Feel Like" featuring Lil Boosie.
  • Rihanna Channels Scandal's Olivia Pope During White House Tour Before Concert For Valor Performance [PHOTOS]

    Rihanna will be performing tonight on HBO's Concert For Valor, which is being held on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in honor of Veterans Day. She decided to make the most of her trip to the nation's capital and took a VIP tour of The White House. During her visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, she posed in the Briefing Room and the West Wing and even did some Scandal role-play, channeling Olivia Pope at a payphone outside the White House gates.
  • Taylor Swift "Blank Space" App Features Expansive World, Plenty of Swiftie Easter Eggs

    Yesterday (Nov. 10), Taylor Swift released the official music video for her new 1989 single "Blank Space," which finds her in an expansive, gaudy mansion as she meets, falls in love with, goes crazy and breaks up with a handsome man all in one day. Now Swifties can immerse themselves in the music video all thanks to a new app. Today (Nov. 11), American Express released the Unstaged Taylor Swift app, which allows fans to navigate the "Blank Space" music video's world.
  • Calvin Harris Beats Out Avicii, David Guetta for Best Electronic Artist at MTV's EMAs

    Calvin Harris beat out some tough competitors like Avicii, David Guetta and Hardwell for the title of Best Electronic Artist at MTV's European Music Awards Sunday, Nov. 9. The EMA win was his first after four previous nominations.The network announced prior to the show that Harris would not be able to perform at the event: "Hey #MTVEMA fans — we have some really sad news. Calvin Harris has taken ill and will not be able to perform at tomorrow's show. He sends his sincere apologies. Get well soon, Calvin!"According to BBC News, the cancellation was due to some heart issues, which Harris revealed in a tweet that has since been deleted."No EMAs for me this weekend. Got some heart problems. Heading home to see if it can be fixed x," the electronic dance music artist reportedly wrote.
  • Robert Plant Deems $800 Million Led Zeppelin Reunion Story 'Rubbish'

    Fans far and wide marveled at the recent reports of former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant ripping up an $800 million contract for a reunion tour with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. The proposed deal was allegedly bankrolled by Virgin founder Richard Branson, but Plant's publicist quickly denied the claims after the story began to garner attention.The publicist's statement on behalf of Plant was that the whole thing was "rubbish," "The Guardian" reported. Now all we are left with is a fictional story from the "Daily Mirror" about how Page, Jones and original drummer John Bonham's son Jason all signed on to do a 35-date tour for major money, and Plant ripped the document up in front of the promoters. To sweeten the deal, Branson even reportedly offered to rename one of his jets "The Starship," in reference to the band's old private plane, to take the musicians to different venues.