business
Private polytechnic owners set to clamp down on illegal operators
The National President of the Association of Private Polytechnic Founders/Rectors in Nigeria, Pastor Bassey James, has said that illegal school operators across the country would soon run out of business. He stated this in Uyo while briefing newsmen as part of the activities marking the maiden matriculation of Southern Atlantic Polytechnic, scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2021. James mentioned that a total of 300 students would partake in the maiden matriculation ceremony of the Southern Atlantic Polytechnic, even as admissions were still ongoing in the institution. According to him, the association had written to both the national and state assemblies to inform them of the ugly incident even as he had met with some of the perpetrators of the illegal business and had given them a timeline...
APC group commends President Buhari, security agents for ‘decimating’ IPOB
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and federal security agents for decimating separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group, in a statement issued by the quartet of Barr Ismail Ahmed, Lanre Issa-Onilu, Tolu Ogunlesi and Salihu Moh Lukman, claimed that the country will in the next few months witness even more progress on all fronts. ‘On security, the fear that has gripped the nation in recent times is receding while confidence is being renewed as the security agencies are chasing down the criminals, taking the battle to the bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers, and other criminal elements who have been holding the country by the jugular and turning Nigeria to a killing field,’ the group stated. ‘From the...
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’ ‘Carnage’ Challenges For U.K. Chart Crown
Cave, the ARIA Hall of Fame inducted singer and songwriter, and Ellis, the dynamic Dirty Three violinist, have been bandmates in the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, and they’ve jointly composed film scores. Carnage is their first entire album of works as a duo, and it reenters the midweek U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (Geffen), which lifts 2-1. Cave has never landed a No. 1 in the U.K., his adopted home. His chart best is a No. 2 for 2016’s Skeleton Tree, one of six Top 10 efforts across his career. Also new to the Official Chart Update is BRITs Rising Star winner Griff, whose debut mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other (Warner Records) bows at No. 4. It’s the most downloaded album of the week so far, the OCC reports. Completing the Top 5 is veteran singer and songwrite...
Roc-A-Fella Records Sues Co-Founder Damon Dash Over ‘Reasonable Doubt’ NFT
Roc-A-Fella Records is seeking a ruling that states the label exclusively owns all rights to Reasonable Doubt. The label is also asking that Dash transfer ownership of “any NFT or other asset in his possession, custody, or control reflecting rights to Reasonable Doubt” to Roc-A-Fella Records Inc. Dash co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Kareem Burke in 1995. It was officially incorporated in New York on Jan. 8, 1996, and became a division of Def Jam in 1997. The label became defunct in 2013. Dash disputed the claims to Rolling Stone on Monday (June 21), claiming the lawsuit is inaccurate. He says he was not attempting to sell an NFT of the album, but that he was trying to auction his stake in Roc-A-Fella Records after he claims the label attempted ...
Cardi B, Beyonce & More Artists Who Have Competed Against Themselves For Video of the Year at BET Awards
Beyoncé has had two nominated videos as a lead or co-lead artist three times, more than any other artist. Jay-Z, like Cardi B, has done it twice. But does having two nominated videos mean that Cardi B is so hot she is likely to win with one or the other, or that her competing entries are likely to split her votes so that neither one wins? The history of the BET Awards doesn’t yield a clear answer. In the nine previous times that an artist has had two nominated videos (as a lead or co-lead artist), that artist won five times. In the other four cases, somebody else won the award. Here’s a full list of artists who have had two video of the year nominees as lead or co-lead artists — and who won the award that year. OutKast, 2004: “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move” (featuring Sleepy Brown) ...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ Extends U.K. Chart Reign
Meanwhile, 2021 Eurovision winners Måneskin from Italy now have a U.K. Top 10 with “I Wanna Be Your Slave” (Columbia), which lifts 12-7. British singer and songwriter Mimi Webb has this week’s highest new entry with “Dumb Love” (Epic), new at No. 12. It’s Webb’s second Top 20 single following “Good Without,” which holds at No. 9 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart this week. New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde returns to the chart with “Solar Power” (Virgin), which powers in at No. 17 for her third Top 20 appearance. Also notable this week is the return of the “3 Lions” soccer anthem by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner & The Lightning Seeds. “3 Lions” typically comes home to the U.K. singles chart when the national team competes in a major tournament. Such i...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ On Track for Another U.K. Chart Crown
Close behind “Good 4 U” is KSI’s summer release “Holiday,” which debuts at No. 2 on the chart update. Co-written with Jake Gosling and Digital Farm Animals, KSI’s latest will appear on the rapper’s album All Over The Place, due out July 16 via BMG/RBC Records. Meanwhile, 2021 Eurovision Song Contest champs Måneskin could snag a third U.K. Top 20, as their cover of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’” lifts 56 places to No. 17 on the chart blast. The Italian rockers’ “I Wanna Be Your Slave” lifted to No. 7 last Friday while their Eurovision-winner “Zitti E Buoni” peaked at No. 17. Finally, David Baddiel, Frank Skinner & Lightning Seeds score another goal with “Three Lions,” their evergreen soccer anthem. Originally released in 1996, the song climbs 22-7 as the England t...
Vivendi’s Universal Music to Sell 10 Percent Stake to Bill Ackman SPAC, Valuing Label at $40B
“As you can see from PSTH’s announcement, this investment represents a strong validation of UMG, our strategy, our people, our legendary catalog and our amazing roster of artists and songwriters,” UMG CEO Lucian Grainge wrote in a staff memo on Sunday. “And the fact that we now have, in addition to Vivendi, two committed investors — the consortium led by Tencent, as well as PSTH — is as powerful an endorsement as one could imagine from the investment and technology communities.” Grainge added, “On Tuesday, at Vivendi’s General Shareholders’ Meeting, shareholders will consider Vivendi’s proposal to distribute 60% of the UMG share capital and list UMG’s shares on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. I will keep you updated on all these developments...
The Clark Sisters, Tramaine Hawkins to Receive Special Honors at 2021 Stellar Gospel Music Awards
Other artists receiving multiple Stellar nominations include Tasha Cobbs Leonard, The Clark Sisters, Rev. Luther Barnes and the Restoration Worship Center Choir, the Chicago Mass Choir and co-host Carr. “After a challenging 2020, we are thrilled to return to the mainstage in one of the music epicenters of the world, Nashville,” said Don Jackson, founder of the Stellar Awards and chairman of Central City Productions, in a statement. “With a theme of ‘Lighting the Way with Our Faith, Music and Family,’ we are set to deliver an evening of inspiration and celebration…” “The 36th Annual Stellar Awards is sure to be the gospel celebration of the year,” said Carr in a statement. “I look forward to celebrating my peers, as well as those who have paved the way for gospel artists like myself.” Ticke...
Nile Rodgers Re-Elected Chairman of Songwriters Hall of Fame
“Nile is tremendously respected and admired by his peers and fans of all generations for being a musical pioneer,” said Linda Moran, SHOF president and CEO. “…Having him as a partner has been a very special and rewarding experience and the Songwriters Hall of Fame can ask for no better representative, both to the songwriting community and to the world at large.” Rodgers, 68, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. He was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the award for musical excellence category, the following year. He has won three Grammys — all for his work on Daft Punk’s 2013 smash “Get Lucky” and the duo’s Random Access Memories album. As a songwriter and producer, Rodgers has been responsible not only for many hits with his former group Chic, su...
Olivia Rodrigo Extends Reign Over Australia’s Charts
Polo G bags a new chart best as Hall of Fame (Columbia/Sony), his third album, starts at No. 3. The U.S. rapper’s previous best was a No. 10 for his most recent, sophomore set The Goat, from 2020. Meanwhile, ‘90s alternative rock favorites Garbage earn a seventh Top 10 with their comeback album, No Gods No Masters (Liberator Music/Universal). It’s new at No. 5. No Gods is the followup to 2016’s Strange Little Birds, which went to No. 9 on the ARIA Chart, and it continues the Shirley Manson-led outfit’s run of having all their studio albums enter the Top 10, dating back to their 1996 self-titled debut. With Rodrigo extending her reign over the ARIA Singles Chart, the U.S. singer and songwriter has now logged 10 weeks at No. 1 on the survey this year, a feat that includes six straight ...
The Players Behind Lil Baby & Lil Durk’s ‘Hats Off’ Feat. Travis Scott: See the Full Credits
Artists:Main Artist – Lil BabyMain Artist – Lil DurkFeatured Artist – Travis Scott Songwriters:Composer Lyricist – Chidi OsonduComposer Lyricist – Dominique JonesComposer Lyricist – Durk BanksComposer Lyricist – Jacques WebsterComposer Lyricist – Thanush Perinpanesan Producers:Executive Producer – James HardenExecutive Producer – Kevin “Coach K” LeeExecutive Producer – M. “Twan” TraylorExecutive Producer – Pierre “P” ThomasProducer – Chi ChiProducer – James HardenProducer – Kevin “Coach K” LeeProducer – M. “Twan” TraylorProducer – Pierre “P” ThomasProducer – Young TN Production Team:A&R Coordinator – As...
