It's about f***ing time. I mean, really. | | | | Is there a backlash to the backlash? Greta Van Fleet on SNL, Jan. 19, 2019.
(Will Heath/NBC/Getty Images) | | | | | |  | "It's about f***ing time. I mean, really."
| | | | | | rantnrave:// Well it only took about 15 years, or 15 days, depending where you want to start your R. KELLY clock, but RCA RECORDS has rid itself of the most toxic star in pop music. More or less. RCA still owns Kelly's back catalog, which is to say, pretty much the entirety of Kelly's commercially viable material. A half measure, as MIKE EHRMANTRAUT might put it. But is there any doubt that dropping him was the right thing to do? Though RCA and parent company SONY said nothing in public as outrage against Kelly grew, and though they continue to say nothing—news of the divorce came at the end of last week from anonymous inside sources—the NEW YORK TIMES reports the label and Kelly's lawyers began discussing the breakup "well before the release of the LIFETIME documentary [SURVIVING R. KELLY] but after the #MuteRKelly movement had gained momentum." In other words, on the late side, but not quite as late as it may have seemed. There were, no doubt, complicated contracts involved. But if major label contracts don't have uncomplicated morals clauses that cover the kinds of things Kelly stands accused of doing by multiple young women, may I suggest now would be a good time to start? Kelly has denied the accusations, and hasn't been convicted of anything. It took MIRAMAX two days to fire HARVEY WEINSTEIN allegations of sexual harassment against the movie mogul first appeared. He hasn't been convicted of anything either. It seems reasonably clear, even if internal discussions began before it aired, that LIFETIME's three-night series "Surviving R Kelly" was the turning point, the event that left the label with no other choice. The power of television. But also the power of women's voices. What may have seemed abstract, or deniable, to a lot of music fans and music execs when reported in print and online over the years turned into a universal gut-punch when Kelly's victims got in front of a camera and, over the course of six hours of riveting and horrifying television, told their stories. Kelly will still be able to release music, of course. One of his advisers told the New York Times other labels are interested (wow if true, but also: of course), and there will always be direct-to-fan options like SOUNDCLOUD and YOUTUBE. Although Kelly collaborations have started to disappear from streaming services, at the behest of his collaborators, the bulk of his catalog is still there. But SPOTIFY, which stumbled last year in trying to programmatically punish Kelly, XXXTENTACION and other controversial artists, is now reportedly giving users the option to do it themselves, with an artist mute button... Spotify is also coming for your car... BEBE REXHA says "a lot of designers" have declined to dress her for the GRAMMYS, because she is—gasp—a size 6–8... OZZY OSBOURNE celebrated "the 37th Anniversary since I bit a head off a f***ing bat" with this early contender for rock merch of the year... CHRISETTE MICHELE had ample warning that her decision to perform at an inaugural ball for PRESIDENT TRUMP would not work out well for her, and ample opportunity to back out. She didn't. CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.'s profile of a singer with a very different career two years later is a great read on the very real politics of pop... RIP REGGIE YOUNG and NICK REDMAN. | | | - Matty Karas, curator | | | | | | | i'm just beginning to see | |  | The Washington Post | | Chrisette Michele hoped she could use a performance at an inaugural ball to "be a bridge" between Donald Trump and the black community. Instead, 5 minutes on stage sent her life into a tailspin. | | | |  | Rolling Stone | | The media giant could end up owning a stake in no less than seven billion-dollar or multi-billion dollar music companies by the time 2019 is through | | | |  | The Pudding | | The number of unique lyrics used within artists' first 35,000 lyrics | | | |  | Hollywood Reporter | | In an initial attempt to license songs, the filmmakers behind "Unplanned" were turned down nine of 10 times. | | | |  | Longreads | | Teddy Pendergrass was the R&B singer women wanted and who men wanted to be. And the one whose life-sized cardboard cutout stood in one family's living room. | | | |  | The New York Times | | Unchecked growth has claimed Bobby's Idle Hour, the last live-music venue on Nashville's fabled Music Row. | | | |  | The Guardian | | In an eye-opening new documentary, hidden Native American figures are finally given credit for influencing a vast amount of popular music. | | | |  | Complex | | Freebandz producer ATL Jacob shares his story, from sleeping in the trap to being on the year's most anticipated album. | | | |  | Los Angeles Times | | Simultaneous residencies in Las Vegas featuring pop music stars Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani underscore what succeeds and what doesn't for discerning pop music fans. | | | |  | Pollstar | | The touring version of "Hamilton" is ringing up big numbers at theaters across the country, but the venue industry has its eyes on another Broadway smash: "Springsteen on Broadway." | | | | | | | who could hang a name on you? | | | Rolling Stone | | Rappers appear increasingly comfortable slashing their profits from clothing sales in exchange for higher chart position. | | | | | The Washington Post | | Orchestras use it to reach new audiences, but John Williams's music stands the test of time. | | | |  | DJ Tech Tools | | There's no denying that headphones are an essential part of any music production setup, but does more expensive always equate to a better product? Today, DJTT contributor Tenova takes tells all about some of the most sought after cans in the world---the Audeze LCD-X. | | | |  | The California Sunday Magazine | | Omar Banos found fame streaming angsty pop songs from his bedroom. Now he's a model for how musicians can thrive, unsigned. | | | |  | Tape Op | | "It seems so simple," says the legendary mixing engineer. "I'll find the obvious things that pique my interest in a song. Then I find the things that don't, and I weed them out. I base everything around the voice." | | | | | Los Angeles Times | | Brainfeeder, founded by producer Flying Lotus as a venue to release records that reflect his aesthetic, has helped define the sound of LA future-jazz. He looks back as the label turns 10. | | | |  | The Quietus | | Mobile phones are now such a ubiquitous presence at gigs we've started to not notice them. Is it time we start to resist the tyranny of the "dopamine economy"? | | | |  | Trench | | In many ways, the genre is evolving in real time as its artists are doubling down on and expanding its core elements for wider public consumption. | | | |  | Trapital | | Jacquees proves that trolling is less successful for artists that want to become generational greats. | | | |  | Genius | | It's been an outlet for MCs since rap's early days. | | | | |  | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | aka Aesop Rock & Tobacco, from "Malibu Ken," released last week on Rhymesayers. | | | | | | | | © Copyright 2019, The REDEF Group | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment