NEWS
Insomniac Forced to Furlough 50% of Its Workforce Due to COVID-19 Concerns
In heartbreaking news, Insomniac, one of the world’s leading event companies and the organizers of EDC, Beyond Wonderland, and more, today announced that they have been forced to furlough 50% of the company’s workforce due to COVID-19 concerns. As the stay-at-home ordinances continue to be prolonged, the live event and entertainment industry have been struck with a harsh new reality. According to The New York Times, economists surveyed by MarketWatch expect a report, which the Labor Department will release on Friday, to show that U.S. payrolls fell by 22 million jobs this last month. Insomniac founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella told Billboard the decision did not come easy, but it became a necessary action to stay afloat during these troubling time...
DaBaby Denies Report He 2-Pieced A Las Vegas Driver
Source: Daniel Ramos / Interscope DaBaby is back in the news again–only this time he claims the accusations aren’t true. According to TMZ, DaBaby called for a driver in Vegas back in November of 2019, upon the driver’s arrival, the “Suge” rapper and some friends hopped into the Mercedes Sprinter where they reportedly attempted to spark a joint before the driver advised them not to; it was at this point the driver alleges that DaBaby and crew became upset. The situation escalated from there. Police say the crew began cursing the driver out and threatened him. When they arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel and the driver asked to be paid, DaBaby allegedly punched him in the back of the head and said, “You ain’t the boss.” Authorities say that one of the friends said, “You’re lucky you’re not ...
‘Becoming’ Doc Reveals Michelle Obama Was “Disappointed” In Black Voters For 2016 Turnout
Source: Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Michelle Obama is clearly disappointed with Black people who didn’t come out to vote in the 2016 presidential election, and she’s letting her frustrations known in her upcoming Netflix documentary “Becoming.” According to the New York Post, Michelle Obama says it was a “slap in the face’’ that minorities didn’t go to the polls in 2016 — and has no plans on re-entering the political spotlight amid a push to make her Joe Biden’s running mate. “It takes some energy to go high, and we were exhausted from it … when you’re the first black anything,’’ Michelle Obama explained in the film, referencing husband Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential win. “You know, the day I left the White House, it was painful to sit on that stage, and then a lot of our folks didn’t ...
Meek Mill, Girlfriend Milano Welcome New Baby Boy
Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty Congratulations are in order. Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill and his girlfriend Milano welcome a new baby boy. Coincidentally, it also happens to be Meek’s 33rd birthday today (May 6), too. Per 2020 rapper protocol, Meek shared the news of the new arrival on Twitter. “Milano dropped me off a king on my birthday! #thebestgift Red heart,” he tweeted today. Meek already had a son from a previous relationship. Congratulations to Meek Mill and his growing family. HipHopWired Radio Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…
Father-Son Duo Transform Daft Punk’s Alive 2007 Stage Into Epic LEGO Recreation
There’s nothing more wholesome than a father and son working together on a LEGO project. Combine that with a love and appreciation for one of the most iconic acts in electronic music and you have yourself a family that will make you say “goals.” That is exactly what happened when Patrick Harboun and his son took on the challenge of transforming Daft Punk‘s legendary Alive 2007 stage design for a competition hosted by the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group. The new partnership called for fans to “show off your love of music using LEGO bricks,” with the chance of being selected to be turned into official sets sold by the long-standing toy company. “We know music is a huge passion for so many children, it has an incredible ability to engag...
Party Smart: The World’s First Socially Distanced Concert Is Going Down In Arkansas
The impact of COVID-19 effectively quashed the live concert industry, sending its artists, managers, agents, and promoters into a professional tailspin in the process. Their dealings have since migrated to the virtual music livestreaming landscape, which is becoming more and more robust with each passing day as major players in the industry, Like Twitch, Facebook, and SoundCloud, push their chips to the middle of the table. Due to social distancing ordinances and concerns about the health of patrons, the live music industry has remained dormant despite unwavering and incessant requests by venue owners to reopen amid crushing financial losses. Nevertheless, country-rock singer and Bishop Gunn frontman Travis McCready is primed to host the world’s first-ever socially distance...
Diplo Isn’t Happy Nicolas Cage Landed Joe Exotic Role In New “Tiger King” Spin-Off
Diplo had fans laughing with approval back on April Fool’s Day with his campaign to play Joe Exotic in the scripted rendition of the Tiger King series. There’s no denying the similarities between the two in their hair color, passion for music, and notoriety, so when news broke that the role would instead be going to none other than Nicolas Cage, Diplo made sure to reignite the fandom with his disapproval. According to a report by Variety, the eight-episode series will be produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios and will be based on the Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild,” by Leif Reigstad. It comes after the Netflix series Tiger King took the nation by storm, raising the curtain on the wi...
NBA Back… Well Sort of, ESPN2 Will Now Air The ‘NBA 2K League’ Matchups
Source: Mike Stobe / Getty With sports on hold indefinitely, ESPN is definitely looking for ways to fill in the massive void and is turning to eSports. The NBA is back on TV… well sort of. Yesterday, it was announced that the NBA 2K League will make its television debut. Starting last night (May.5), the growing eSports league kicked off its season, and games will air every Tuesday through at least May 19 on ESPN2. The sports network has already aired the NBA 2K Player’s Only Tournament, as well as broadcasts from FIFA, NASCAR, Madden, and F1. They also aired tournaments featuring other video games such as Overwatch, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and League of Legends. On top of airing matchups on television, NBA 2K League followers can watch the action on the...
Guns N’ Roses to Release Children’s Book
Guns N’ Roses may not have any new music arriving imminently, but they are releasing a book…for children. The book, titled Sweet Child O’ Mine after you know what, was written in collaboration with author James Patterson. The book was illustrated by Jennifer Zivion. “As a longtime fan of Guns N’ Roses, I’m thrilled to partner with the band in bringing their famed hit song to life on the page,” Patterson said, according to People.”Sweet Child O’Mine is a story that I know kids will love reading and that parents will love singing along to.” The two main characters of the book are cousins based on the children of GNR manager Fernando Lebeis and his sister. Here’s the book’s description, per Amazon: Follow a child’s wondrous discovery that music is everywhere around us...
SoundCloud Launches Its Own Twitch Channel for Original Live Programming
SoundCloud has officially thrown its hat into the music livestreaming ring by signing up for its own Twitch channel. On the heels of some big moves to bolster their position in the virtual music livestreaming space by other major companies, like Facebook, SoundCloud is making a concerted effort to intensify their endeavors in an increasingly robust streaming landscape in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the launch of its own Twitch channel, SoundCloud jumps into the fray to capitalize on the heightened consumer demand for livestreaming experiences by building out its own catalog of original content. SoundCloud will be airing panel discussions with industry experts, DJ and live music sets, and a number of interview series with artists, producers, and creator...
Spanish Government Initiates Three-Step Plan to Reintroduce Live Events Amid Pandemic
Spain’s government recently announced and initiated a three-phase plan to reintroduce live events into its cities, furthering its efforts to ease restrictions on large gatherings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase of the plan, which allows “cultural events” to take place, is currently underway and will be rolling out on a case-by-case basis in each province, relative to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in each respective area. According to Spanish news outlet The Local, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that bars and restaurants with terraces will be able to operate at 50% of their full capacity. The statement follows a preceding announcement that limited local venue owners to open its doors at only 30% capacity, which was u...
Florian Schneider, Pioneering Co-Founder of Kraftwerk, Dead at 73
Florian Schneider, who co-founded iconic electronic band Kraftwerk in Düsseldorf back in 1970, has tragically passed away at the age of 73. Kraftwerk co-founder and German compatriot Ralf Hütter confirmed that the legendary electronic artist, who celebrated his 73rd birthday on April 7th, “passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday.” Prior to his Schneider’s unfortunate passing, Kraftwerk was primed for a barnstorming summer tour of North America in celebration of the group’s landmark 50th anniversary, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 concerns. During his time with Kraftwerk, Schneider was regarded as one of the most pioneering artists of his generation as a founding member of the prolifi...
