Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Keyshia Cole Drops New Single "She" PREPPING NEW ALBUM POINT OF NO RETURN

Keyshia Cole is ready to try something new. Amidst reports of an impending divorce from her husband Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, the R&B diva explores her sexuality on her brand new single “She.” Over the DJ Mustard-produced beat, Keyshia sings about getting intimate with another woman.

SINGER PREPPING NEW ALBUM POINT OF NO RETURN

“Down to try something different / Lips and legs, soft skin so feminine / Curves like me, covered in my cherry scent,” she coos. “Them boys love ‘em some you / But I ain’t mad ’cause you look good on me too / She look good on me too.”

The song will appear on Keyshia’s upcoming album Point of No Return, which is set to feature collaborations with R. Kelly, 2 Chainz, Future, Birdman, Wale, and Juicy J.

On July 12, she will kick off her “Point of No Return” tour in Rochester, NY. Bump and grind to Keyshia’s provocative jam.

Keyshia Cole Drops New Single "She"

"June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- After five consecutive Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, all of them Top 5 R&B, and 11 Top 10 R&B singles, tough-and-tender Keyshia Cole (who Vibe recently called "still a bad mammajamma") will release a new single, "She," on Tuesday, June 24th. The track follows the recent release of two buzz tracks, the fierce "Rick James" (ft. Juicy J) and fragile "Next Time (Won't Give My Heart Away." All of them will appear on the multiple Grammy nominee's upcoming sixth album, Point Of No Return (Interscope).

Among the guest artists featured on the album will be Wale, Future, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and August Alsina. Prominent producers on Point Of No Return are Mike WiLL (Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Rihanna, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Lil Wayne), Stargate (Beyonce, Rihanna), DJ Mustard (YG, 2 Chainz), Mario Winans (Diddy, Ginuwine), and Red 1 (Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj)".
SOURCE: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2008700#ixzz35a1prTkE

Cole launches the Point Of No Return Tour on Sunday, July 20^th in Minneapolis, MN. El Seven/Republic recording artist Adrian Marcel, whose new single "2 A.M." features Sage The Gemini, will open on the 21 city tour.

In anticipation of her upcoming album, Keyshia Cole is hitting the road. The R&B songstress has announced dates for her “Point of No Return” tour.

The U.S. trek kicks off July 12 in Rochester, New York, and travels across the country with stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, wrapping August 25 in San Diego.

Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, June 13.

Keyshia’s sixth album Point of No Return is also due this summer featuring the singles “Rick James” and “Next Time (Won’t Give My Heart Away),” with contributions from Mike WiLL Made It, Birdman, Future, and Wale.

See tour dates below.

“Point of No Return” Tour Dates

July 12 – Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, NY
July 18 – Century Link Center – Bossier City, LA
July 22 – Saint Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI
July 24 – House of Blues Chicago – Chicago, IL
July 26 – Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
July 27 – House of Blues Cleveland – Cleveland, OH
July 29 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Aug 1 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 2 – House of Blues Boston – Boston, MA
Aug. 3 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
Aug. 7 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC
Aug. 8 – DPAC – Durham, NC
Aug. 9 – House of Blues Myrtle Beach – North Myrtle Beach, SC
Aug. 10 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
Aug. 11 – House of Blues Orlando – Orlando, FL
Aug. 13 – House of Blues New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
Aug. 15 – House of Blues Houston – Houston, TX
Aug. 17 – House Of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX
Aug. 21 – House of Blues Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Aug. 22 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Aug. 23 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Aug. 25 – House of Blues San Diego – San Diego, CA

George Clinton Can't Prevent Sound Recordings From Being Sold

By Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter

George Clinton Concert

George Clinton won't be able to stop a court-appointed receiver from selling "One Nation Under a Groove," "Hardcore Jollies," "Uncle Jam Wants You" and "The Electric Spanking of War Babies."

On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling authorizing the sale of the master sound recording copyrights to satisfy a debt owed to Hendricks & Lewis, the funk pioneer's former law firm.

Although the appellate court's opinion (read here) specifically addresses Clinton's situation, it touches upon a controversial copyright topic—works made-for-hire—that will likely have music industry lawyers examining closely.

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Throughout the years, Clinton has been waging a legal war against those he believes have forged various agreements and denied him control over both his song rights and the ability to sue over them. His attention of late has focused on Hendricks & Lewis, which represented Clinton between 2005 and 2008 in an effort to pursue RICO actions and other claims against those he once did business with.

The law firm billed Clinton more than $3.3 million for its work, was paid some of it, but claimed nearly $1.8 million due. An arbitration commenced to secure the debt, and later a Washington district court confirmed the arbitration award and entered a judgment. Thereafter, the parties fought more with Clinton accusing the law firm of malpractice, and Hendricks & Lewis counterclaiming for an order authorizing the sale of Clinton's songs to satisfy judgment.

After a judge gave the blessing for the sale, Clinton appealed, arguing that the Copyright Act precludes the sale. Specifically, the musician pointed to a provision of copyright law (§201), which protects individual authors from the involuntary transfer of their copyrights. The provision, though, only protects such authors when the copyright has not previously been transferred voluntarily.

That's where the "works made for hire" issue comes up.

Freelancers and those being contracted by companies often agree to hand over rights. If a work is made for hire, it's the employer who is considered the statutory author. The subject has been a hot one in the music world, where some artists are attempting to terminate copyright grants. But if the musician has agreed to produce music as a work-made-for-hire, they aren't really the "author" as far as the law is concerned and don't enjoy termination rights.

Here, Clinton is said to have made agreements in the late 1970s with Warner Bros. on his sound recordings. The recording artist was explicitly "deemed [Warner Bros.'s] employees for hire" and later, the record label registered the masters as "works made for hire" at the Copyright Office.

Looking at all this, 9th Circuit judge Morgan Christen writes that it "supports H&L's argument that... the district court could reasonably conclude that Warner Bros. was the initial author and owner of the Masters, and the protection afforded by § 201(e) is unavailable to Clinton."

Note: The italics are ours, because the federal appeals court comes very close to addressing the issue of whether sound recordings can be works for hire. Judge Christen's line could soon be used by record labels fighting off termination notices from artists, who like Clinton, don't believe their master recordings were created as works for hire.

Clinton has more arguments why his sound recordings shouldn't be treated as works for hire, and maybe fortunately for other musicians, the 9th Circuit doesn't do any further analysis. Instead, the 9th Circuit says that Clinton's "argument fails because even if the Masters were not originally 'works for hire,' § 201(e) protection does not apply where a copyright was previously 'transferred voluntarily by that individual author," referring to Clinton's dealings with Warner Bros.

The appeals court circuit also declines to get into the nitty gritty of the termination provisions of copyright law -- something we've highlighted could be going up to the Supreme Court soon. In the opinion, Judge Christen also says that Clinton may raise claims of fraud on the part of Hendricks & Lewis, but then quickly shoots down such allegations as being without merit.

This story first appeared on THR.com

Aaliyah Biopic To Delve Into Relationship With R. Kelly

Aaliyah's Lifetime biopic continues to rock the boat.

Sources tell Page Six that the film — which will reportedly depict the late singer's life from age 10 to her untimely death at 22 from a plane crash — will detail her controversial relationship with her mentor/ R&B veteran R. Kelly. The two were reportedly married when she was 15 and he was 27.

In 1995, VIBE magazine uncovered a marriage certificate that falsely listed Aaliyah as 18. "If I got tired we’d go watch a movie, go eat or whatever, and then come back and work,” she told the mag about Kellz in 1994. “Me and him we’re really, we’re rather close.” The wedding was later annulled by her parents.

Executive producer Debra Martin Chase told Page Six, “Aaliyah’s personal and professional relationship with R. Kelly will be explored with care in the film as we set out to depict her life with the utmost respect.

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Above all else, it’s our hope to inspire an entirely new generation with her music and larger-than-life talent.”
Singer/ actress/ model Zendaya has been tapped to play the lead role, causing only a fraction of the backlash for the film. The biopic has come under fire from the singer's family, who said in a statement:

“Aaliyah was more than a singer, she was - and is still – an American music icon whose legacy continues to live on and influence today’s music culture, just as Ray Charles, Notorious B.I.G., Selena and Johnny Cash. Considering the magnitude of her fans’ affection alone, she deserves to have a tribute much more grand than a television network debut that won’t even consider the perspectives of those who were closest to Aaliyah."

Bow Wow Kills The Bark For Good: "I'm Changing My Name"

by Cyrus Langhorne

Cash Money Records' Bow Wow has announced plans to officially retire his hip-hop alias in exchange for going by his government name following next weekend's 2014 BET Awards ceremony. #NoMoreBowWow

Bow Wow broke the news to fans via an Instagram post and credited his career extending beyond music for inspiring the decision.

"ANNOUNCEMENT: After BET awards i will no longer go by Bow Wow! Im going by my real name "Shad Moss" we made alot of history as bow wow. Now its time for the next chapter and challenge. Bow wow does not fit who i am today. Ima father, business man, TV host, Actor, and rapper! Time for MR Moss to take over!," Bow Wow posted June 22. (Bow Wow's Instagram)

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The rapper also posted a video to let his supporters know the announcement is legit.

"Breaking news, man. After the BET Awards, I'm changing my name. I'm going with my real name. No more Bow Wow after June 29, man. Shad Moss is what it is. New era. New money. Let's go." (Bow Wow's Instagram)

No stranger to name changes, Bow Wow previously dropped "Lil" from his stage name.

Snoop Dogg gave him the stage name Lil' Bow Wow in 1993. In 2002, he dropped the Lil' from his name and just went by Bow Wow. His first order of business as Shad Moss is releasing his new single "Right Now" featuring K Camp. (Rap-Up)

In summer 2011, he talked to SOHH about embracing fatherhood and new responsibilities.

"Fatherhood is beautiful, know what I mean? I can't complain, it made me a better rapper, and a better man," Bow Wow told SOHH. "It made me see life differently. Clearly. It made me turn into a man overnight. I love it. It gets kinda difficult to [spend time in public] because fatherhood is kinda the hot story that's around me right now, everybody wants to know [about us]. I was out in L.A. and everybody's trying their best to get pictures of my daughter, so you know, it's not easy." (SOHH)

iHeartRadio Dir. of Digital Programming Mike Abrams Let Go

Mike Abrams, former director of digital programming at iHeartRadio, has left the company.

"They eliminated a few positions, including mine," Abrams told Billboard.biz. "I don't know too much about it, since I work in L.A. and [Clear Channel] is based in New York."

This development was originally posted in AllAccess, which attributed the layoffs to restructuring at iHeartRadio's parent company Clear Channel based on a posting on Abrams' Facebook page. Abrams' departure follows an April round of layoffs by the company, which according to a spokesperson resulted from “aligning our sales organizations... to give more resources, authority and accountability to the most productive members of our team so we can operate as effectively and efficiently as possible."

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Though he doesn't know yet where he will be working next, Abrams said that he hopes to remain in radio and that he has been contact by a few people following the news of his exit.

Before working at iHeartRadio, Abrams spent 12 years at Sirius XM, where he was senior director of music programming. He is remembered by many for his time in the early '90s as programming coordinator for New York hip-hop station Hot 97 (WQHT).

Monday, June 23, 2014

Feds Want Lawsuit by Insane Clown Posse Dismissed

AP Photo/John Carucci

The U.S. Justice Department is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Insane Clown Posse, which objects to a report that describes its fans as a dangerous gang.

The government says the rap-metal duo from the Detroit area and its fans have no standing to sue. It also says it's not liable for any problems caused by law enforcement groups that might use information in the 2011 FBI report.

A Detroit federal judge holds a hearing Monday.
The lawsuit says the gang designation violates rights of free speech and due process. Joseph Bruce, known as Violent J, and Joseph Utsler, known as Shaggy 2 Dope, say they're losing fans because of the report.
They say their fans, known as Juggalos, are like a family, not a gang.

Ma$e Says Harlem On The Rise: "NY Sounds Good Again"

by Cyrus Langhorne

Former Bad Boy Records protégé Ma$e is acknowledging the buzz he has put together as of late after hooking up with fellow New York native Troy Ave and longtime pal Diddy for their "My Style" remix. #NYBack

Mason Betha posted a photo of himself and Puff Daddy onto Instagram this past weekend.

"#NY sounds good again... Thanks to @troyave @mase @iamdiddy #NWE #Harlem of course," Ma$e captioned to the photo. (Ma$e's Instagram)

The crew's unexpected revamped track premiered online Friday (June 20).

Troy Ave rounds up a couple New York icons and the King of the South for his Chase N. Cashe-produced remix to "Your Style" off his latest mixtape BSB Vol. 4. The Brooklyn spitter, who was named one of XXL's Freshmen, takes it back to New York in the '90s on his nostalgic remix featuring Puff Daddy, Ma$e, and T.I. "Now all you hear is New York this, New York that / Let's keep it real mothaf*ckas, I brought New York back," boasts Troy, who credits himself for the return of G-Unit and Dipset. (Rap-Up)

Days away from New Year's Eve, Betha unleashed his "Why Can't We" song.

After a lengthy hiatus from the music, Ma$e has released a new song called "Why Can't We." He shouts out Drake and Kanye West in the beginning the song, acknowledging the fact that both artists are huge fans of his style. He then proceeds to spit two verses with references ranging from 2Pac to Toni Kukoc. "Why Can't We" is a smooth, signature Ma$e song with female vocals that are currently credited to "Her." The song will appear on the Harlemite's upcoming project, Now We Even. (Complex)

In October, he resorted to his Instagram page to break the news of a follow-up project to 2004's Welcome Back LP.

"No abbreviations use #NOWWEEVEN that's the only conversation I'm having. y€$ #NOWWEEVEN is the album title... Lets make it happen!!! Right now I'm listening to all my early freestyles & songs... This got to be something special. A couple free shows & visits #NOWWEEVEN. I'm listening also to Life after Death, All Eyes On Me and Reasonable Doubt... Just so u know what I'm thinking. #NOWWEEVEN. @iamdiddy should be on MY album unless he gets saved and leave music... LM_ _ O #NOWWEEVEN. TO ME @Mr_Camron IS HOMETEAM. SO "NO" we don't have any beefs. I can only comment on what is factually correct! #NOWWEEVEN. @iamdiddy I forgot I was the first SeanJohn super model... we should definitely be even!!! #NOWWEEVEN." (Mase's Instagram)

Google Search Adds Links To Mobile Music Apps

Google has once again tweaked its search results for music-related queries, adding links that open third-party music apps directly to play an artist’s songs. The new feature only works for U.S.-based Android users using the Google Search app on mobile devices and tablets, although Google product manager Jason Douglas writes in a blog post that the company is aiming for a worldwide rollout soon.

For now, U.S. Android users will see links to up to six apps, if a user has them installed: Rdio, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Play, TuneIn, and YouTube. Douglas wrote that Deezer will likely be part of upcoming international versions. Interestingly, Google has chosen not to prioritize its own services -- Google Play and YouTube -- over the others, and in fact spotlights the other four in its own demo screenshot in the blog post. Google has done similar things with other searches, such as recipe queries that redirect users to food apps.

A Google spokesperson said the company did strike partnerships to develop the function with the four third-party services, but they were all technical rather than financial deals, and none is prioritized above the others in a paid-placement situation. He added that the company is interested in adding similar functionality to other mobile search platforms, such as using the Chrome address bar or within the Google Search app for iOS, but some potential versions may be dependent on what other operating systems allow Google to do.

The new search function is reminiscent of Google’s 2009 attempt to add music to Web search results via third-party partners. The company’s Onebox feature included music streams from extant services Rhapsody and Pandora, alongside now-defunct Lala.com, Imeem and MySpace Music; it later faded from view in 2011 after some of the partners disappeared. Notably, both Rhapsody and Pandora are absent from the new mobile feature.

Robin Thicke's Battle Cry For Paula Patton Intensifies

by Cyrus Langhorne

R&B singer Robin Thicke is not slowing down his campaign to win back estranged wife Paula Patton and has released a teaser to the tribute-based track "Get Her Back." #TheMessage

Thicke teased fans with his new Paula music video preview via Instagram.

The teaser gives glimpses at a woman who resembles the singer's estranged wife Paula Patton. She sends him text messages, including one that reads, "I kept trying to warn you you were pushing me too far." A bloodied Thicke then appears on the screen, looking desperate as he tells her that he just wants to "make it right." The full music video will be released on Monday, June 23. (Ace Showbiz)

Barring any last-minute changes, Thicke's next studio release will come packed wth 14 songs.

1. "You're My Fantasy" 2. "Get Her Back" 3. "Still Madly Crazy" 4. "Lock the Door" 5. "Whatever I Want" 6. "Living in New York City" 7. "Love Can Grow Back" 8. "Black Tar Cloud" 9. "Too Little Too Late" 10. "Tippy Toes" 11. "Something Bad" 12. "The Opposite of Me" 13. "Time of Your Life" 14. "Forever Love" (Paula)

Buzz about Thicke's follow-up to 2013's Blurred Lines album being titled Paula surfaced earlier this month.

His five-months-and-counting separation from wife Paula Patton has prompted him to write and produce an entire album dedicated to winning her back. And just so there's no confusion about whom his seventh solo LP is devoted to, he's naming it Paula. That's right. After debuting the album's heartfelt single, "Get Her Back," Thicke is stepping things up a notch for that elusive second chance. (MTV)

Paula recently admitted always having a special place in her heart for Thicke.

Patton grew up in Los Angeles, where she met Thicke, her life partner of two decades, at an 18-and-under nightclub when she was 15 and he was 14. Before their first kiss, he sang Jodeci's "Forever My Lady" to her in his dad Alan's living room. "He wasn't my first kiss," says Patton, "but he was my first lots of other things." ... Will the couple remain apart? Patton says only, "We've known each other since we were teenagers. All I can tell you is there's a deep love there--always was, and always will be." (Vanity Fair)

Kevin Liles Talks Mariah Carey and Jay-Z Beverage Launches, 300 & D'Angelo’s New Album

Kevin Liles calls himself an entrepreneur, and it's hard to imagine a more accurate catch-all term for the items in his overstuffed portfolio.

The former Def Jam president and Warner Music executive VP runs KWL Enterprises, which includes a management company that oversees the careers of musicians, athletes and models including D'Angelo, Trey Songz, Estelle, Nelly, model Selita Ebanks, co-management of Ty Dolla $ign, and others.

Late last year he was announced as a partner with his former Warner colleagues Lyor Cohen and Todd Moscowitz in 300, an Atlantic-distributed label that's seeking to work a new model in the music business (more on that below). KWL also includes brand consulting, a philanthropic wing and more.

And along with Walgreens, Mariah Carey and Jay-Z's 40/40, he's launching Go 'N Syde, a new beverage line that, via augmented reality technology, provides exclusive content — a "network," as he calls it — to fans who download the Go 'N Syde app and then scan the labels of Carey's Butterfly (pink lemonade) or 40/40 (Arnold Palmer tea) with their phones.

Billboard caught up with Liles after a hectic day announcing Butterfly with Mariah Carey.

Billboard: How did the Butterfly and 40/40 deals come about?
Kevin Liles: We constantly have conversations around Fortune 500 companies because of my marketing expertise, whether it's how to bring more 15-to-34-year-old traffic into stores or to harness the purchasing power of young America. I've done it so many different ways that I do a lot of advising. My partner and I were having discussion with Walgreens about their "Happy and Healthy" [campaign] and where they wanted to go. They wanted to skew a little bit younger, and they wanted to come up with some ideas about how they could bring more product lines inside Walgreens. So we said what would be best would be to find a product, and then find brands, that we could attach to the product that would bring a certain core demographic, while never getting away from your main objective around the campaign.

We decided the beverage business would be a good place to enter: it sounds like with 40/40 we could [reach young males] and with Mariah, we could cater to the female 34-to-60-year-olds who are the core consumers at Walgreens. I called my friends and said, "Hey, I know this might sound crazy, but I want you guys to start beverage businesses — one around Butterfly and one around 40/40. Let's give them a two-for-one: a great-tasting drink, but also, I have technology that I want to put on every bottle [to provide exclusive content] and disrupt the consumer package goods market. To make a long story short, we launched the beverages and there will be many other line extensions, whether you add another flavor, like a Butterfly Light, coming out in 2014.

What content can fans expect from this?
The reason we were at the [green-screen studios the previous day] was because we wanted to provide Mariah with an opportunity to record things she's never done before. It's her own network and we just started programming, so now she's the owner of her own beverage company, and she's now programmer of her own network. So what would Mariah fans want to see? They want behind-the-scenes access, they want special shout-outs, they want contesting, they want things that normally you would do on your traditional social media platforms. This is her own network, and because it's virtual, anything could pop up — like last night we shot her singing with butterflies; she sang something you've never heard Mariah sing live before.

Again, it's another medium for her to engage her fans, and Mariah's one of the young ladies who's always engaged her fans in that manner, so this is just another extension to help her communicate and engage with them. Eventually we'll have a head of programming. The great thing about the device and application is, when you download the Go 'N Syde app, you can go inside the worlds of 40/40 and Butterfly. I would also say that if we don't continue to innovate around what true behind-the-scenes content is, then we lose the opportunity to do something special. We've got green-screens in New York and L.A. where we can constantly [create new content], but we also can take partners' video footage and upload it. We've hired camera crews to follow them and get exclusive footage that they might have shot before and put it on the site.

This is not behind the scenes backstage: this is behind the scenes of my life, of my world. So it'll be all kinds of things. When you have the opportunity to curate your own channel and it's only based off of what you put up — not stuff that somebody caught you doing or saying — this is stuff that you're proud about — family moments, friend moments, events. Right now we've got a lot of placeholders, but we just launched this week.

And what content will 40/40 have?
If you think about 40/40, you think about sports, you think about great events, you think about having fun, you think about, "Hey, when Jay's going on tour with Beyonce, how do I get VIP access?" We have video, galleries, contesting, all sorts of things. Some of the content up there now is just stuff that happened at the club, and we're in the process of uploading video from Jay. They're committed to releasing exclusive things: sometimes you might have a world premiere, go to a 40/40 bottle and check out this new song from Jay-Z. Mariah, too. I'm working with all the partners to come up with experiences that are unparalleled on any other network.

What are some other branding moves that have impressed you lately?
I think Samsung continues to push the marketplace with their advertising about being the "next big thing." I love the holograms that people have used lately, Michael Jackson and Tupac, and Mariah did one a long time ago around a Christmas album. I think what Vice has done to create their own point of view, similar to the transformation of CNN under Jeff Zucker, I think they've been doing exciting things. With CNN, their curated content is more than news but it's still news, what they did with "Blackfish" — you wouldn't expect to see that on CNN. A lot of people are critical based off of it being different and it takes time to go from being different to being innovative.

What's going on with 300?
When we started 300 this year, we said that we wanted to be an organization that was nimble and available to have a [variety] of deals — every deal should fit one particular artist. We should be able to be partners with them and not have them just look at us as the record company — we're your partner, we're willing to do deals that work for everybody, and on top of that, this is the first time, at least for me, that we have a direct connection to our fans. Normally radio or video or promoters would have the relationship and we would just be the entertainment. Now with technology we have become chief consumer officers and learn more and more through our partnerships with Twitter around analytics and with YouTube and Google being one of our main investors, we want data-miners next to A&R and do what we do best find talent, nurture it and bring it to market. I think we're up to eight artists, and we've got a couple of deals out that I can't speak about.

Trey Songz's album is coming soon.
July 1st. He's bigger than he's ever been around the world, so we'll be touring starting in October here in the U.S., then Europe with holiday dates in December, and then we kick off 2015. Every Valentine's Day he does a big show, and next year we're doing [London's] Wembley Arena. We did four nights at Hammersmith [Apollo], 20,000 tickets, but we wanted to do something special at Wembley for Valentine's Day 2015.

So what's going on with D'Angelo?
Here's the thing: with D'Angelo was a process. He didn't perform for 10 years and he's been working on an album for the past 12 years. I actually got him to go out and do 30 shows [in 2011-2012], and then we did some "Brothers in Arms" shows [with ?uestlove last year]. I said, "We have to get motivated around what people want to hear from you, and what does it mean to come back to that space?" He very bluntly put it, "Kev, the studio and the stage: that's my lifeblood. Now that I've touched it again, now that I see it again, I wanna be sure that the baby I'm about to have — the album — that I take it to the point where it's all it can be."

There'll be an album this year: there's 14 records so far, we might have a couple of bonus records, but all the recording is basically done we're mixing and mastering now. Definitely, he'll be back. We'll probably start an international tour in October, we'll come back [to the States]. We're doing a James Brown tribute in August [at the Hollywood Bowl] and some one-off things. But the touring will probably start in October and 2015.

What's the album like?
To limit it to soul is not the case, because there is a rock influence. But at the same time, it's very melodic and there's an influence of all the things he loves: there's James Brown, there's Prince, and everything people grew up loving D'Angelo for, from "Brown Sugar" to "Voodoo." It's a mixture and an evolution of where he is right now. And you have to think that when you have the opportunity to work 10 years on an album, that album's truly gonna be what you want it to be. Is it limited to the kind of sound that he did with the earlier records? No, it's not.

Does it have a name yet?
There is a potential name, but I don't wanna give you a potential name and then change it.

And it's definitely coming in 2014?
Yep. Sooner than later!

Anything else you'd like to talk about?
I just wanted to share my condolences to my mentor, [former radio personality and label exec] Wes "Party" Johnson, who passed [on May 11]. Not only was he involved with my life prior to Def Jam, but he was the senior VP of marketing and promotion that I was working for at Def Jam. Life is just too short, so I always tell people, make sure that people not only see you and hear you, but that they feel you. Sometimes this industry is so harsh that we don't take time to enjoy the moment.

Donald Trump Goes Off, Rips NY Over Multi-Million Dollar Deal

by Cyrus Langhorne

Real estate mogul Donald Trump has worked up a storm across social media after publicly blasting the state of New York for awarding millions in a publicized "Central Park Five" case. #Trumped

Trump went on a mini-tirade over social media to spread his thoughts.

"N.Y. City is paying FORTY MILLION DOLLARS to five men that many think are guilty as hell. So many facts - should have been trial. Politics!," Trump tweeted June 22.

"How much money are the lawyers for the Central Park Five getting out of the 40 million dollars, or are they paid by the City (or both)?"

"I'd bet the lawyers for the Central Park 5 are laughing at the stupidity of N.Y.C. when there was such a strong case against their "clients"" (Donald Trump's Twitter)

The media personality also penned an open article on the case.

My opinion on the settlement of the Central Park Jogger case is that it's a disgrace. A detective close to the case, and who has followed it since 1989, calls it "the heist of the century." Settling doesn't mean innocence, but it indicates incompetence on several levels. This case has not been dormant, and many people have asked why it took so long to settle? It is politics at its lowest and worst form. What about the other people who were brutalized that night, in addition to the jogger? (NY Daily News)

Trump also suggested the case is bigger than the wrongly convicted men.

Speak to the detectives on the case and try listening to the facts. These young men do not exactly have the pasts of angels. What about all the people who were so desperately hurt and affected? I hope it's not too late to continue to fight and that this unfortunate event will not have a repeat episode any time soon -- or ever. As citizens and taxpayers, we deserve better than this. (NY Daily News)

The case dates back to an April 1989 rape in New York's Central Park.

The five teenagers were convicted one year later in 1990 after police coerced them into making false statements that ended up incriminating them. The teens, now men, served between seven and 13 years in prison so the settlement amounted to approximately $1 million for each year they were locked up behind bars. Korey Wise served 13 years while Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana Jr. served about seven years each. (All Voices)