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If you spent your holiday looking at
the internet, you may have seen a video that Erykah Badu posted to her
Instagram on New Year’s Eve, in which the neo-soul icon was seemingly pulled
over by a couple of giddy fanboys on the police department in her Dallas
hometown. “Why are you pulling me over?” Badu asks in the clip, filming herself
with a smartphone in the driver’s seat of a car. “Because I wanted to say hi,”
a police officer answers with a bit of nervous laughter. Rather than being
angry at this rude and probably illegal invasion of her privacy, Badu laughs as
well.
Blogs and news outlets including New York Daily News, New
York Post, Essence, andThe Root picked up the video as news. “Erykah Badu Got
Pulled Over By Police In Texas And The Reason Why Has Fans Concerned,” reads a
headline from BET.com. That concern is understandable if you take the video at
face value: Aside from the shady behavior of this particular cop, there’s also
the eerily familiar setup of a black woman filming herself during a traffic
stop, to say nothing of the long history of unwarranted police violence against
black people in general.
But should we really be taking the video at face value? For
one thing, everything about it feels a little staged, from the officer’s ready
admission that he had no real reason to stop her to Badu’s deadpan reaction.
Also, it seems unlikely that a cop would recognize Badu behind the wheel with
enough confidence to pull her over. Most importantly, there’s a second video in
which Badu stands with the two officers in front of a house. She doesn’t
exactly admit that the first video was a ruse, but she comes close. “We’re just
having fun, New Year’s Eve,” she says. “I wasn’t harassed or anything.”
Finally, there’s the fact that the Dallas Police Department
responded to Badu’s house on a call about an alleged stalker and trespasser on
the same night, as reported by a local ABC affiliate. Given the second video,
my theory is that the responding officers were fans, and that Badu asked them
to stage the first video as a joke, which the news media took a little too
seriously. We’ve reached out to a DPD spokesperson for more information, and
will update this post if we hear back.
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Anita Baker has decided to retire from her iconic singing career after three decades.
Last year , she defused rumors of a final project in the works with a tweet,saying, “Lotta rumours out there. No Tour. No CD. #Retired #BeachBum #ThankUJesus along with a gift emoji and pictures of the beach." Erykah Badu: {Dallas] Cops Really Pull Erykah Badu?
On New Year’s Day, though, Anita Baker announced the end of her soulful love songs. READ MORE: Shaft Remake
Her unique, towering voice has remained an influence in contemporary soul music, mixing jazz traditions and picking up several Grammy Awards throughout her career. The legendary singer has four No. 1 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, including Rhythm of Love, Giving You the Best That I Got, My Everything and the platinum-selling Rapture.
Baker will hold a Farewell Concert Series, set to begin in March. Although no tour dates have been released yet, Baker is set to headline New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this spring. READ MORE: [CARDI B]: With First 3 Hot 100 Hits in [Top 10 Simultaneously]!!!
Twitter felt her response was bittersweet. One user said, "We need to give Queen Anita Baker her flowers now!! She hasn’t been properly recognized for her contributions to us! And the perfect person to pay tribute is @tonibraxton cuz without Mother Baker, we may not have had a sound like Aunt Toni! #Legends."
Christmas may be long gone, but Wu-Tang Clan just released the ultimate gift for cannabis enthusiasts: rolling papers. On Tuesday (Jan. 2), Wu-Tang Clan unveiled their Clan-inspired rolling papers in the group's signature colors, which are available exclusively online.
READ MORE: [CARDI B]: With First 3 Hot 100 Hits in [Top 10 Simultaneously]!!! The packaging for the rolling papers features a black background with the group's signature logo plastered on the front in metallic gold. Wu-Tang opted for pure hemp papers that are made from 100 percent organic materials. Each booklet comes equipped with 32 sheets. Fans can purchase the four-pack for $3.99 or the box set, which retails for $42.99.
To coincide with the launch of their rolling papers, Wu-Tang's RZA will take over New York's City Winery on Friday for a special performance. Wu-Tang Killa Beez and Inspectah Deck will also perform. Tickets for the event can be purchasedhere.
Wu-Tang Clan rolling papers are available for purchase on Amazon.
Welcome to Tha' Palace! Amara La Negra is no novice when it comes to music. She's kicked down doors in entertainment for years, breaking stereotypes while singing her black-girl narrative on stages throughout Latin America. From being a child star on Univision's Sábado Gigante to making a name for herself in the urban Latin music industry, Amara's ready for the big time. [READ MORE]Anita Baker: Farewell Tour?
Following the premiere of Love & Hip Hop: Miami and Amara's highly celebrated debut on the reality TV show Monday, Billboard has learned that the Dominican artist has inked a multi-album record deal with Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide and BMG. READ MORE: [Katt Williams] Discusses his Role in "Father Figures"
“I’m still in shock! At times, I am caught pinching myself because there is a part of me that still is in awe of being signed to a franchise that will heighten my success," she raved in a statement. "It is a feeling of a different level of hunger because I have prayed for this so much that it feels unreal! I am humbly honored to have a team that continues to believe in me. Having a pioneer in the music arena like Zach seeing the potential in my musical craft and talent. I am thankful for my team at Fast Life Ent. Worldwide and BMG for this opportunity as an artist. And I cannot for my fans to hear my new music."
READ MORE: [CARDI B]: With First 3 Hot 100 Hits in [Top 10 Simultaneously]!!! Under the new deal -- which was worked out between Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide CEO Jullian Boothe and BMG Recordings President Zach Katz (formerly of indie label Beluga Heights and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment) -- Amara will release her first single in the first quarter of 2018. Her upcoming music will be produced by hitmakers Rock City, whose previous credits includeRihanna, Beyoncé, Sean Kingston, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj, among many others. Erykah Badu: {Dallas] Cops Really Pull Erykah Badu?
In a previous interview with Billboard, Amara La Negra expressed her joy and gratitude for gaining a television platform that will help highlight the struggles she's long endured in the music industry as someone who is bicultural and of Afro-Caribbean descent. As she readies fresh music and perhaps a new sound, catch Amara on VH1's Love and Hip Hip: Miami every Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
Spotify has been hit with a $1.6 billion lawsuit from Wixen Music Publishing, which handles titles by Tom Petty, Neil Young, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Stevie Nicks, and others. The suit, which alleges that Spotify is using thousands of songs without a proper license, was filed on Dec. 29 in California federal court. It is seeking damages worth at least $1.6 billion and injunctive relief.
Anita Baker: Farewell Tour? Spotify has been plagued by complaints and legal action from the music-publishing industry, which widely feels that labels are getting the fairer share of royalties from the company. In May the company proposed a $43 million settlement to resolve a class-action suit from a collective of songwriters, including David Lowery and Melissa Ferrick, that in September was lambasted as being inadequate by a group of songwriters and actors; more lawsuits ensued.
Wixen’s lawsuit says the proposed settlement “does not adequately compensate Wixen or the songwriters it represents.” The suit continues, “Prior to launching in the United States, Spotify attempted to license sound recordings by working with record labels but, in a race to be first to market, made insufficient efforts to collect the required musical composition information and, in turn, failed in many cases to license the compositions embodied within each recording or comply with the requirements of Section 115 of the Copyright Act. Either a direct license from Wixen or a compulsory license would have permitted Spotify to reproduce and/or distribute the Works as part of the Service, including by means of digital phonorecord deliveries (“DPDs”), interactive streaming, and limited downloads. But Spotify failed to obtain either license type,” and instead outsourced that role to the Harry Fox Agency, which the suit says “Spotify knew … did not possess the infrastructure to obtain the required mechanical licenses and Spotify knew it lacked these licenses.”
Spotify filed court papers on Friday that questioned whether Wixen’s clients had authorized the company to take that action, claiming that it had given its clients only a brief opt-out period before their names would be included in the suit.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, company president Randall Wixen clarified that it and its clients are not taking part in the Music Modernization Act introduced late in December, which aims to simplify digital licensing and increase rates, or joining the class-action suit “in part because of their belief that the proposed settlement is inadequate, because too much of the settlement is going to legal fees, and because the terms of the go-forward license in the settlement are not in their long-term best interests.” Instead, the company says it “was and is desirous of sitting down with Spotify to work out an amicable settlement for its past infringements and unlicensed uses, and seeks to work out a go-forward license which is fair to all parties. READ MORE: [CARDI B]: With First 3 Hot 100 Hits in [Top 10 Simultaneously]!!!
“We’re just asking to be treated fairly,” he continued. “We are not looking for a ridiculous punitive payment. But we estimate that our clients account for somewhere between 1% and 5% of the music these services distribute. Spotify has more than $3 billion in annual revenue and pays outrageous annual salaries to its executives and millions per month for ultra-luxurious office space in various cities. All we’re asking for is for them to reasonably compensate our clients by sharing a miniscule amount of the revenue they take in with the creators of the product they sell.”
Welcome to Tha' Palace! Cardi B becomes just the third act – and the first rapper – to place her first three Billboard Hot 100 entries in the chart's top 10 simultaneously, joining only The Beatles and Ashanti in achieving the feat. Anita Baker: Farewell Tour?
The Bronx rapper earns the honor as G-Eazy's "No Limit," featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B, lifts from No. 5 to a No. 4 high on the new Jan. 6-dated Hot 100; Migos, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B's No. 6-peaking "MotorSport" holds at No. 7; and Cardi B's former three-week No. 1 debut smash "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" returns to the top 10, rising 12-10.
Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé's "Perfect" tops the Hot 100 for a fourth week.
Let's run down the top 10 of the Jan. 6-dated Hot 100, which blends all-genre streaming, airplay and sales data. All charts will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 3, as Billboard is adjusting how it dates its charts and magazine issues.)
As Cardi B places at Nos. 4, 7 and 10 on the Hot 100, she joins elite company in ranking in the top 10 with her first three charted titles in the same week.
The Beatles first tripled up at the heights of early Beatlemania, as, on the Hot 100s dated Feb. 29, March 7 and March 14, 1964, their first three entries all charted in the top 10 together. In the last of those three frames, the band monopolized the top three, with their first three hits at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively: "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You" and "Please Please Me."
The feat remained unmatched for 38 years, until Ashanti reached the Hot 100's top 10 with her first three charted titles simultaneously. On March 30 and April 6, 2002, she appeared in the tier with her own "Foolish" and as featured on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always on Time."
Erykah Badu: {Dallas] Cops Really Pull Erykah Badu? Cardi B is the first artist overall to chart three songs in the top 10 simultaneously since The Chainsmokers, who became the first duo to earn the distinction on the March 18, 2017-dated Hot 100. She's the first woman to do so since both Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande on Aug. 30, 2014.
Cardi B, Azalea, Grande, Adele and Ashanti are the only women with such a top-10 triple.
The only other acts to chart three Hot 100 top 10s simultaneously (dating to the chart's Aug. 4, 1958, inception): Bee Gees, 50 Cent, Usher, Akon, T-Pain, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber (thus, making Cardi B the 15th act to join the club).
The honor is the latest for Cardi B, who, when "MotorSport" zoomed 15-6 on the Dec. 30-dated Hot 100, became the first female rapper to reach the top 10 with her first three Hot 100 entries.
Cardi B's current trio of top 10s is driven most heavily by streaming, as "No Limit" leaps 7-4 on the Streaming Songs chart with 34.2 million U.S. streams, up 18 percent, in the week ending Dec. 28, according to Nielsen Music; "MotorSport" reverses 5-7 (30 million, down 4 percent); and "Bodak Yellow" holds at No. 9 (24.2 million, down 1 percent).
Not to be forgotten among Cardi B's bounty this week: at No. 4 on the Hot 100, "No Limit" marks a new career high for both G-Eazy and A$AP Rocky, the latter of whom surpasses his prior No. 5 peak, as featured on Selena Gomez's "Good for You" in 2015.
Meanwhile, Cardi B adds to her haul this week, earning the Hot 100's top two debuts with her fourth and fifth Hot 100 entries. "Bartier Cardi," featuring 21 Savage, bows at No. 14 on the Hot 100, as it launches at No. 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart with 45,000 first-week downloads sold in the week ending Dec. 28 and at No. 11 on Streaming Songs (21.1 million opening-week U.S. streams). The song's No. 14 Hot 100 entrance matches Cardi B's best, tying the arrival of "MotorSport" (Nov. 18).
Plus, Ozuna and Cardi B's "La Modelo" debuts on the Hot 100 at No. 52, starting on Digital Song Sales at No. 40 (19,000) and Streaming Songs at No. 41 (11.7 million). It opens at No. 3 on Hot Latin Songs (where it marks Cardi B's first appearance).
Atop the Hot 100 for a fourth frame, Sheeran and Beyoncé's "Perfect," released on Atlantic Records, and first as a solo song by Sheeran on his album ÷ (Divide), spends a fifth week at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales (163,000, up 8 percent). It dips to No. 2 after a week atop Streaming Songs (37.7 million, down 13 percent) and holds at its No. 2 high on the Radio Songs chart, with 129.6 million in audience, up 4 percent, in the week ending Dec. 31.
Post Malone's "Rockstar," featuring 21 Savage, ranks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 for a fourth week after eight weeks at No. 1. It rebounds for a 13th week at No. 1 on Streaming Songs (40.2 million, down 6 percent) and leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a 12th week each.
Camila Cabello's "Havana," featuring Young Thug, keeps at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, while topping Radio Songs for a fourth week (130.4 million, down 3 percent).
Rounding out the Hot 100's top five, Imagine Dragons' "Thunder" rises 6-5 after reaching No. 4, while leading Hot Rock Songs for a ninth week. Meanwhile, a medley version of the song with Khalid's "Young Dumb & Free," released at midnight ET Dec. 20 and being tracked as its own title, enters the Hot 100 at No. 69 (and Hot Rock Songs at No. 4), fueled by its No. 8 debut on Digital Song Sales (46,000 sold). The song is a studio version of the medley that the group and Khalid performed on the American Music Awards Nov. 19. (Khalid's track jumps 33-18 for a new high on the Hot 100.)
Elsewhere in the Hot 100's top 10, Lil Pump's "Gucci Gang" drops 4-6 after hitting No. 3; Sam Smith's No. 4-peaking "Too Good at Goodbyes" holds at No. 8; and Halsey's "Bad at Love" rebounds 10-9 after reaching No. 8.
In addition to Cardi B's debuts outside the Hot 100's top 10, two songs, especially, are challenging for spots in the region: Kendrick Lamar's "Love.," featuring Zacari, zooms 22-11 as the chart's top gainer in streaming (19.2 million, up 53 percent), following the Dec. 21 arrival of its official video, and Dua Lipa's "New Rules" rises 13-12.
