NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still earning rap music royalties, tax filings show

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is still making money from his short-lived career as a multilingual rapper, tax filings show. But the 34-year-old Democrat’s meteoric rise as a celebrity politician has brought only a modest increase in hip-hop profits: he took home $1,643 in music royalties last year, up only slightly … Read more

From music to majors: Hip-hop advances in academia

On a recent gray and dreary day, lecturer Chesney Snow circles a studio at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, surveying students who are role-playing on yoga mats. Their aesthetic of Nikes, shell-toe Adidas, and Pumas matches the subject perfectly: hip-hop.  Mr. Snow’s students – seven women and one man – are preparing to … Read more

Kanye West blocked from traveling to U.K. for a music festival

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Now Playing Kanye West blocked from traveling to U.K. for a music festival 03:21 UP NEXT Bob Odenkirk Talks ‘Normal’ Movie and Previews New Music 05:39 Get a Sneak Peek of Bad Bunny’s New Concert Documentary 00:46 Rapper Offset Is … Read more

Universal Music targeted in takeover bid by hedge fund Pershing Square

American hedge fund Pershing Square, led by the activist investor Bill Ackman, announced Tuesday that it had offered to buy Universal Music Group in a merger, saying it believed the world’s biggest music label was undervalued by stock markets. Pershing Square said its offer to Universal shareholders included 9.4 billion euros ($10.9 billion) in cash … Read more

Eurovision, the glitzy contest where music meets politics, is adding an Asian edition

Dust off the sequins and stock up on the pyrotechnics: The Eurovision Song Contest is coming to Asia. The organizers of Eurovision, the glitzy singing contest that draws Super Bowl-like viewership every year in Europe and beyond, said Tuesday that they would be holding the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. … Read more

Supreme Court sides with Cox Communications in copyright dispute over pirated music

Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that internet service provider Cox Communications cannot be held liable for copyright infringement by its subscribers in a closely watched dispute over pirated music. The high court ruled unanimously in favor of Cox, finding that the company cannot be held liable for infringement that occurred on its network. The decision … Read more

Rapper Afroman wins lawsuit against Ohio police over mocking their raid of his home in viral music videos

The Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman won a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who sued him over music videos in which he used home security footage to mock their raid of his home. “We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!” the 51-year-old rapper, born Joseph Foreman, shouted … Read more