In a revelation, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been identified as one of the investors in X Corp, the company owned by Elon Musk that acquired the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The disclosure came as part of a federal court ruling, unsealing a list of shareholders connected to Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the platform in 2022. Court Order Unseals X Corp’s Investors The court-ordered disclosure revealed nearly 100 investors, including high-profile names like Bill Ackman, Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen. Among them, Sean Combs Capital, one of
The California Court of Appeals has upheld a deal between Sony Music Group and the estate of Michael Jackson, allowing the music giant to acquire a substantial portion of the late artist’s catalog for $600 million. According to Billboard, the court’s decision, finalized on August 21, 2024, permits the sale of half of Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters catalog, despite objections from his mother, Katherine Jackson. Court Ruling Dismisses Katherine Jackson’s Objections The legal dispute centered around whether the estate’s executors, John Branca and John McClain, violated the terms of
Rapper and Atlanta native Gunna is launching a $500,000 guaranteed income program aimed at helping families in his hometown, as first reported by Billboard. Set to kick off on September 18, the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program will provide 30 families in the 30349 zip code with $1,000 monthly stipends for a year. Addressing Economic Challenges Head-On In a move to tackle economic inequality, Gunna has teamed up with the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) to create a program that offers direct financial support to those who need
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, figures in the music industry and long-time philanthropists announced their collaboration with the Inglewood Unified School District to open a new high school focused on creative skills and social impact. Set to launch in the summer of 2025, this initiative aims to rejuvenate a district facing declining enrollment and financial challenges. A Bold Initiative for Creative and Entrepreneurial Learning Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s first foray into education began at the college level with the University of Southern California Iovine and Young Academy (IYA). Their
R&B artist Brent Faiyaz and his business partner Ty Baisden have invested more than $100,000 in Black women-led STEM companies, according to Billboard. Investing Music Profits Into Black Women-Led Businesses Under their Lost Kids label, Faiyaz and Baisden operate a 50/50 business partnership that reinvests profits from Faiyaz’s music career into various ventures. Their primary focus is on Black women-led businesses, particularly in the STEM fields. “Those projects and his tours are the financial seeds for Brent and me to go out and make individual investments,” said Baisden. The duo’s
Grammy-winning R&B artist Eric Bellinger announced a partnership with Hooky, a music startup known for its “artist-first” Voice AI solutions. Hooky has just launched its online subscription platform, offering creators, artists, and labels an all-in-one tool for music creation, licensing, and distribution. Bellinger Collabs With Hooky Bellinger, known for his innovative approach to music, is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to elevate his creative process and empower fellow musicians. As one of the first artists to collaborate with Hooky, Bellinger is lending his voice to the platform’s AI models, allowing creators
In response to the success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us: The Game,” Drake fans have quickly followed suit by launching their own video game, “Family Matters: The Game.” The move comes after Lamar’s game captivated over 1.2 million players within its first 36 hours. Kendrick Lamar’s Viral Success Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us: The Game” has taken the gaming world by storm since its release last week. Developed by Richie Branson, also known as Marcus Brown II, the game is inspired by Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.” In the
NASA has made history by transmitting the lyrics of Missy Elliott’s iconic song, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” to Venus. This event marks the first time a hip-hop song has been beamed into space. A Hip-Hop Song In Space On July 12 at 10:05 a.m. PDT, the lyrics were sent from NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) Goldstone complex in California. The DSN, known for its large and sensitive array of radio antennas, facilitates deep-space communication, supporting missions from the Moon to far-reaching planets. The transmission traveled approximately 158 million miles (254
Verzuz, the multimedia platform co-founded by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, announced a new distribution deal with Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). Episodes will stream for free exclusively on X, while VERZUZ maintains full ownership and creative control. VERZUZ comes to X This partnership follows Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s reacquisition of VERZUZ from Triller after a lawsuit over $28 million in unpaid fees. Despite legal issues, the founders kept their equity in Triller and retained the artists who participated in VERZUZ. Swizz Beatz expressed excitement about the partnership: “We are beyond
Record labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records are suing AI song-generators Suno and Udio for ‘mass copyright infringement’. The lawsuits allege that the music startups are exploiting the works of artists including Chuck Berry, Billie Holiday, and Michael Jackson. What Does Suno And Udio Do? Suno and Udio have garnered attention over the last few months for their music-generation capabilities. The platforms allow users to create complete songs using a single-word prompt, and most recently, they added new updates enabling you to upload your audio
