Def Jam Recordings has released a statement on Blackout Tuesday and the Black Lives Matter movement;
“Today, Def Jam Recordings stands with our colleagues, our artists, our industry and our community in observance of BLACKOUT TUESDAY.
Yesterday, over one hundred and fifty Def Jam employees joined together for a town hall. Some of us shared deep pain, others outrage and anger, still others desperation and frustration. For many of us there were questions; some with tough answers and some with yet no answers.
Today, and throughout the week, we are honoring the wishes of our artists who have asked that we pause in the release, marketing and promotion of their music. Others are rushing to make their voices heard, and we intend to amplify them.
We have joined together with the other Universal Music Group labels and companies in a joint task force – lead by our interim CEO Jeff Harleston – and today that task force strategizes on how we will continue to respond.
Today, some of us are marching, some are mobilizing, others are praying. Many of us are donating our day’s wages to the organization of our choice on the front lines of this fight.
Collectively, we are taking a hard look within and asking: “What more can we do?”
Bob’s Burgers fans rejoice: Apple TV+ has a new animated comedy called Central Park and you’ll want every song on your playlists
Central Park is Apple TV’s new animated musical comedy series from Emmy Award-winners Lauren Bouchard and Nora Smith and Grammy Award-winner Josh Gad. The show comes from the creators of Bob’s Burgers and features an A-list voice cast including Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci. With just the right combination of humor, singing, and quirky characters, Central Park is the perfect lighthearted show to binge during quarantine. Each episode features three to six songs from award-winning songwriters. You can download the songs from the first two episodes here for Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.
Download Central Park Season One, The Soundtrack – Song-tral Park (Episodes 1-2) here.
Fifth Installment of the Roots Jam Presents Solo Sessions released on May 28th and available at The Roots YouTube channel HERE
This recently released episode featuring performances by Lisa Ramey, Kacey Williams, and Mannywellz, hosted by CAPTAIN KIRK was published by The Roots as part of their custom content series. The band’s commitment to opening up its platform to handpicked music artists reveals themes of creativity and discovery which have been present in each of the previous Solo Sessions.
Such cleverly curated content demonstrates an innovative and expressive band eager to deliver original talent to its fans. Plus, each day, the lineup of content is anchored by Questlove’s impactful live DJ sets which have have not only reimagined the art of DJing but have incorporated a charitable component where donations can be made to The Food Hub NYC.
All the content mentioned is created by The Roots and produced by their production company, Two One Five Entertainment, in partnership with Live Urban Nation and available at their YouTube channel HERE. Future material will center on The Roots band members and will vary from short-form storytelling and conversations to performances and podcasts. Throughout the coming weeks this content will flourish into more imaginative productions highlighting other influential artists, authors, and creatives.
Universal Music group has announced the launch of Def Jam Africa, a new label division dedicated to supporting the best in African hip-hop, Afrobeats, and trap talent and culture across the continent. Def Jam Africa will follow the blueprint of the iconic Def Jam Recordings label, which has led and influenced the cutting-edge in hip-hop and urban culture for over 35 years.
Def Jam Africa will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Lagos, Nigeria, but will identify and sign talent from across the continent. It will be supported by dedicated A&R, marketing, creative and digital teams from the UMG teams in both Nigeria and South Africa and will report to Sipho Dlamini, MD, Universal Music Sub-Saharan Africa & South Africa.
The label launches with a flagship roster including talent such as Boity (South Africa), Cassper Nyovest (South Africa), Larry Gaaga (Nigeria) Nadia Nakai (South Africa), Nasty C (South Africa), Tshego (South Africa), Tellaman (South Africa), Ricky Tyler (South Africa) and Vector (Nigeria).
In making the announcement, Sipho Dlamini said, “Many of us in Africa grew up on music from legendary labels under the UMG umbrella. From Blue Note for jazz fans, to Mercury Records, which was Hugh Masekela’s first US label and Uptown Records, the home of Jodeci and Mary J Blige and many more. For those into hip-hop, no label has such cultural and historic relevance as Def Jam. From Run DMC, to LL Cool J, Disturbing the Peace, Jay-Z, Big Sean and Kanye West, Def Jam has always been the ultimate destination for hip-hop and urban culture worldwide. It is a historic achievement that we’re now able to bring this iconic label to Africa, to create an authentic and trusted home for those who aspire to be the best in hip-hop, Afrobeats and trap. Together, we will build a new community of artists, that will push the boundaries of hip-hop fromAfrica, to reach new audiences globally.
Jeff Harleston, interim Chairman & CEO, Def Jam Recordings said, “Def Jam is a globally recognized brand, synonymous with excellence in hip-hop, and we enthusiastically welcome the launch of Def Jam Africa as an opportunity for audiences worldwide to discover the incredibly talented hip-hop artists emerging from across the continent.”
Adam Granite, EVP, Market Development said, “Def Jam has always been a respected mark of hip-hop quality, and the calibre of artists already on the roster, shows that this is a label, truly dedicated to helping the very best rap talent from Africa, reach new audiences on a global level.”
Forthcoming releases on Def Jam Africa include singles from Ricky Tyler, Boity, Nasty C, Tellaman feat. Alpha P, Vector, Cassper Nyovest, and Tshego. South African rapper Nasty C will release his forthcoming album Zulu Man with Some Power in partnership with Def Jam Recordings in the U.S., during Summer 2020.
Jhené Aiko’s Chilombo is the biggest R&B album of the year and the biggest debut for a female R&B artist since Beyoncé’s Lemonade, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
Today, Jhené released the visual for “One Way St.” [feat. Ab-Soul] from Chilombo. The video finds her and Ab-Soul wandering the empty streets of a city at night, using overlays and visual effects throughout for a dark and moody vibe as the two sing about feeling lost.
“Melancholy, mediocre mess
Maybe I should just give it a rest now
I just gotta get this off my chest
Lately, I have been so f*****n’ stressed out
Flippy-floppy, wishy-washy, never twice the same”
Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter Jhené Aiko was already more than a decade deep in the music game when she arrived at Def Jam in 2011; having been featured on singles, albums and mix tapes by A-listers Kendrick Lamar, Wale, Big Sean, Logic, J. Cole, Drake, and many more. Jhené made history when Sail Out, her phenomenal #1 debut EP of 2013, became the biggest-selling EP in Def Jam history. The EP’s success was propelled by her sizzling BET Award-winning and Grammy®-nominated #1 platinum crossover hit “The Worst” (over 117 million combined YouTube views to date). The EP also included
“Bed Peace” featuring Childish Gambino (over 37 million combined YouTube views); “3:16am” (over 14 million combined YouTube views); plus collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples. The momentum kept up when Jhené joined Drake on his 39-city North American Would You Like A Tour? She appeared with him on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, which led to her own solo dates on Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Jhené’s brilliant debut album of 2014, Souled Out, entered the Soundscan R&B chart at #1, containing “The Pressure,” described by Billboard as “an otherworldly neck-snapper” (over 14 million YouTube views to date). The release of Souled Out was celebrated on NBC’s The Today Show. In 2016, Jhené collaborated with fellow multi-platinum Def Jam superstar Big Sean on their debut duo project, TWENTY88. The duo made their TV debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Jhené’s critically hailed second album, Trip, was released September 2017, entering the Soundscan R&B chart at #1. Her third album, Chilombo (March 2020) acknowledged her full name, Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, and contained the singles “Triggered” (RIAA platinum), “None Of Your Concern,”“Pu$$y Fairy (OTW),”“Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)” (featuring Future, Miguel), and “B.S.” (featuring H.E.R.).
After surpassing 3.5 million global streams on the track so far, Australian-bred, now LA-based producer Kito shares the music video for her new single “Alone With You” featuring AlunaGeorge – WATCH HERE!
Kito and her housemate, Rose Chirillo (who co-directed Kito’s last music video for ‘Wild Girl”), came up with the concept for this video as a way to show people that even though we’re all physically separated under current circumstances, that we’re alone *with* each other and dealing with these very unconventional times together. Check out what Flaunt already has to say about the video HERE.
The visual reflects the upbeat and undeniable energy of the song. It opens with AlunaGeorge enjoying a freshly lit joint in the bathtub before intercutting quarantine cameos from a cast of Zoom’ed-in friends & notable musicians, including Donna Missal, Cxloe, Jillionaire, Lao Ra, and L Devine. Of course, Kito also makes an appearance as she dances in a self-made bedroom rave! The energy of the cameos match Kito’s distinct production as Aluna’s vocals shine on the hook, “I can’t be alone with you. When I’m alone with you, there’s no telling what we’ll do.” The video arrives on the heels of Kito’s recent collaboration with Fletcher entitled “Bitter.” In addition to tallying over 2.3 million streams within the first week of release, it attracted fervent praise right from the jump.
E! touted it on The MixtapE! and wrote, “The rising pop star links up with the Australian producer for this perfectly pretty breakup anthem. It’s a bop.” Ones To Watch observed, “Cheating, lingering feelings of pain, and instantly infectious sonics make up the newfound duo’s meditation on the relationship that brought to life one of 2019’s hottest songs and rapidly rising artists.” Kito made her Astralwerks debut via 2019’s “Wild Girl” with Empress Of.
Climbing on US Dance Radio, it gathered 13 million global streams and incited widespread critical acclaim from Paper Magazine, Pitchfork, FADER, NPR, Refinery29, Stereogum, E! News, Vulture, Brooklyn Vegan, Triple J, Beats 1, and more.
About Kito
Producer/songwriter Kito developed her distinctive sound while growing up in Australia and later living in London, garnering worldwide notoriety by DJing and releasing music independently. With early cosigns by the likes of Diplo, Kito made the move to Los Angeles to focus on her artist project while still being an in-demand producer for artists such as Jorja Smith, Banks & Mabel. As a solo artist, Kito has already reached number one on the iTunes dance chart, while her 2018 EP Haani featured Elley Duhé, Kodie Shane, Trinidad James and Kanye West-producer Hudson Mohawke. She made her Astralwerks debut with the single “Wild Girl” alongside Empress Of, which is a top 10 hit at US Dance Radio. “Alone With You,” a collaboration with electronic music duo AlunaGeorge, followed in February 2020. After signing her first major label deal with Astralwerks, Kito exploded onto the scene with her first release “Wild Girl” alongside alternative pop star Empress Of.
About AlunaGeorge
AlunaGeorge are an Electronic music duo from London, consisting of singer-songwriter Aluna Francis and producer George Reid. The duo has amassed over 1 billion streams for their catalogue of Body Music (2013), I Remember (2016), and Champagne Eyes (2018). AlunaGeorge’s collaborations include DJ Snake, Disclosure, Diplo, Skrillex, Avicii, Kaytranada, Zhu, SG Lewis, and more.
About Astralwerks
Established in 1993 in New York City, Astralwerks was the brainchild of Caroline Records staffers who saw an opportunity for a label focused on the nascent electronic and ambient scene. Now based at the historic Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, Astralwerks has emerged as a modern, artist-first label and the #1 market share leader for dance/electronic music in the U.S. Combining a scalable, independent and global-thinking ethos with the ability to tap into the resources of a major label has enabled Astralwerks to sign such artists as Illenium, Jonas Blue, Alison Wonderland, Eden, Zhu, and Alesso. As a testament to its pioneering approach, Astralwerks has amassed 30 Grammy® nominations, taken home six Grammy Awards, and had historic releases from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Swedish House Mafia, Halsey, Porter Robinson, Phoenix, Eric Prydz, Fatboy Slim, and many others. The label has also released such massive singles as the 5x Platinum “Happier” by Marshmello + Bastille and Fisher’s “Losing It.”
[New York, NY – May 21, 2020] Today, rising Atlanta rapper Mulatto releases her new track “He Say She Say” via RCA Records. Produced by Bankhead & RTJ, the track once again proves Mulatto is one to watch in the rap space delivering slick verses and cheeky lyrics over a hypnotic beat.
Mulatto recently released her “Bitch From Da Souf (Remix)” video featuring Saweetie & Trina, which has nearly 8 million views on YouTube and her freestyle track & video “No Hook,” which has 3 million views in less than a month on YouTube. She is currently working on her next project.
About Mulatto:
Raised in Atlanta, GA, 21-year-old rising rapper Mulatto has been making a name for herself since she was 10 years old. Along with writing all her own lyrics, her witty, sexual verses are unmatched. The Rap Game Season One winner has continually released music since 2016 and recently signed with RCA Records in 2020. In June 2019, Mulatto released her EP Big Latto, which included her breakout hit song “Bitch From Da Souf.” The December 2019 release of her follow-up project, Hit The Latto, contained the remix version of the track featuring Saweetie & Trina. Combined, both versions of “Bitch From Da Souf” has over 35 million streams on Spotify and Apple alone, along with recognition from Timberland, Demi Lovato and more. Prior to the aforementioned, her impressive catalog of music includes Miss Mulatto (2016), Latto Let ‘Em Know (2017) and Mulatto (2018).
Press outlets such as Complex and Okayplayer named her an “Artist to Watch in 2020.” Complex states, “Mulatto’s musical ability is top notch, but the way she carries herself is almost as important. She exudes confidence.” Describing her style/delivery, the outlet explains, “She takes the tropes of Southern bounce and infuses them with Atlanta strip club swag, landing somewhere between City Girls and Rico Nasty.” Collectively, she has garnered over 92 million streams on Spotify and Apple to date.
New York, NY (May 21, 2020)–Miles Davis Estate and the Jazz Foundation Of America present “A Miles Davis Birthday Celebration,” on SiriusXM‘s ‘Real Jazz‘ (67) this Friday, May 22 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The three-hour music special, highlighting the music of Miles as curated by SiriusXM’s Mark Ruffin and guest DJ’s Erin Davis, Vince Wilburn, Jr. (Miles Davis Estate) and Steve Jordan (JFA), will benefit and raise awareness of the Covid-19 Musician’s Emergency Fund from Jazz Foundation Of America.
Grammy and Emmy award-winning producer Steve Jordan, who serves as Artistic Director for Jazz Foundation Of America, will discuss the organization’s mission and fundraising efforts.
The radio special will re-broadcast on Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT and on Miles Davis’ 94th birthday, Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
“The Miles Davis family is honored to be celebrating the birthday of The Chief – 94 and beyond. We are committed to raising awareness of JFA’s Covid-19 Musician’s Emergency Fund. Special love goes out to Mark Ruffin and everyone at SiriusXM and to Steve Jordan and everyone at JFA,” says Erin Davis, Cheryl Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr. from Miles Davis Estate.
Erin Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr. will also host a Miles Davis Quarantine Birthday Party with an Instagram Takeover @milesdavis on May 26 from 12 noon – 4 p.m. PT. Tune in for your chance to win a coronavirus care package giveaway that includes the new Miles Davis face mask.
March 30, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Davis’ landmark album Bitches Brew, ranked as one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time, and celebrated with a 4-CD set The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, original 2xLP plus brand new Bitches Brew merchandise.
This year, Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool, Stanley Nelson’s critically acclaimed documentary, received a Grammy nomination for “Best Music Film.” It’s companion soundtrack Miles Davis – Music From and Inspired by “Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool,” a Film By Stanley Nelson, is an essential playlist for seasoned and new listeners alike.
Rave Family To Produce Electric Blockaloo – Electronic Music Festival in Minecraft
Stage Hosts Include A-Trak, Above & Beyond, All Day I Dream, ANNA Agency, ARDALAN, bedouin, Bingo Players, Boogie T, Borgore, Breakbeat Science Old Skool Jungle, Christian Martin, Circus Records, Claptone, Cut Snake, Diplo, Dirtybird Campout, Getter, GRiZ, Gryffin, GRVDNCR, JAUZ, Jamie Jones, Justin Martin, La Fleur, Lane 8, Lost Resort, LP Giobbi, Mammoth Music, NERVO, Noizu, Nora en Pure, Pixel Terror, RVDIOVCTIVE, Sacha Robotti, Snakehips, Soul Clap, Space Jesus, Thumpasaurus Space Barn, Tritonal, TOKiMONSTA, Uniiqu3, Whethan, ZHU, and Many More.
*Over 300 Artists To Be Announced In Phase Two Line-Up*
Electronic music has been a driving force shaping festival culture over the last thirty years, and as the live event world is radically shaken and re-shaped by the Coronavirus, a new Minecraft festival, Electric Blockaloo, is set to define what a festival will look like in 2020.
Electric Blockaloo, produced by Rave Family, will debut on June 25-28 and is a collective effort from some of the biggest names in electronic music. Stage hosts include Diplo’s Higher Ground, A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold, Claude VonStroke’s DIRTYBIRD Records, ZHU PRESENTS: BLACKLIZT, and Claptone’s Masquerade, along with label collectives including Desert Hearts as well as Circus Records and Lost Resort Presents: TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records. The underground roots of dance music are also well represented with Jamie Jones’ Paradise, bedouin Presents: Saga, Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream, and Soul Clap’s House of E-Funk.
Attendees, affectionately called “Loozers”, will be able to explore incredible venues that include a recreation of Dunder Mifflin’s office space, Red Blocks, a nod to the famed amphitheater, a Dirtybird Campout complete with camp games, a replica of the famed Pacific North West venue The Gorge and many more. Loozers will be able to explore, play games, discover prizes and hidden easter eggs, and dance together, all while enjoying exclusive sets from world-renowned DJs.
To attend Electric Blockaloo, fans need to get on an artist’s guest list via a link that artists will share. With this special code, they’ll be able to get into the Rave Family club. Once they’re in, they simply pay the cover (GA or VIP) and get all-access to artist-curated Minecraft servers, Discord channels, exclusive streams, and special releases!
Electric Blockaloo will be available on both java and Bedrock version of Minecraft, so fans can play on desktop or mobile. For festival fam not familiar with Minecraft, the Rave Family Training Camp will be available to ticket holders in the run up to the festival. Here, users can learn to navigate, swim, shop and socialize in Minecraft.
Electric Blockaloo is produced by Rave Family, a production company founded by tech and investment veteran, Jackie McGuire. CEO of the first all-female team to win the TechCrunch Hackathon (2018), she left a successful career in investments and venture capital to pursue her love of technology, music, and festivals. The company has also worked with festivals including EDC, Electric Forest, Imagine, Ever After and many more to provide infrastructure and entertainment support. To help tackle her ambitious technology goals, McGuire recently recruited Colin Haas, formerly a developer at Apple and GetAround, who will serve as Head of Strategic Engineering and Development.
“Everyone asked us, ‘What’s the new normal?’” said founder Jackie McGuire, “and that normal is one without large festivals for the foreseeable future. Electric Blockaloo is a place where artists and fans can come together, create shared musical experiences, and reconnect with each other in an immersive way. It’s also much more environmentally friendly than traditional festivals, and a portion of each ticket will help support Bye Bye Plastic, an amazing organization that aims to eliminate single-use plastic from music festivals by 2025.”
Electric Blockaloo is the first in a series of Minecraft focused electronic music events that Rave Family will produce, forthcoming events include Mad Decent, 100 Gecs and more.
