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SiriusXM Announces “Grown Folk JAMZ” A Multi-Dimensional Listening Experience for R&B Fans

Eric Alper
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SiriusXM Announces “Grown Folk JAMZ” A Multi-Dimensional Listening Experience for R&B Fans

Today SiriusXM announced Grown Folk JAMZ as the latest channel to join the suite of programming under its “Project Amplify” initiative. The station is available now on SiriusXM channel 362. Project Amplify is a SiriusXM effort aimed at promoting diverse viewpoints across SiriusXM’s Music and Talk channels.

Serving a listenership ranging from ages 25-64, Grown Folk JAMZ features music hits from R&B, Gospel, Old School, Hip-Hop, Smooth Jazz, Funk, Classic Soul, and Love Ballads. The Grown Folk JAMZ® format was originally conceived by D-R JAMZ, the Operations Director of Grown Folk JAMZ. Long-time terrestrial radio program director and host, as well as Grown Folk JAMZ® online radio program director, Todd “T-O” Reynolds, will serve as the program director for its SiriusXM channel. The legendary voice of Al Twitty, CEO of Urban Radio Group, will continue to provide imaging for Grown Folk JAMZ.

Grown Folk JAMZ was developed as an online format in 2010 and was available on terrestrial radio from 2014-2017. Grown Folk JAMZ is a part of Panache Companies LLC, a new entrant in the mass media industry, which is proud to be 100% African American owned, including by a majority of women.  For more on Grown Folk JAMZ please visit: www.grownfolkjamz.com.

Originally known as a “Qualified Entity” channel, Project Amplify is a commitment SiriusXM made to the Federal Communications Commission in connection with the merger of Sirius and XM in 2008. The newly rebranded Project Amplify will continue the mission of providing a national platform for historically underserved communities, many of which have been underrepresented in the media.

“We are proud to expand this format to the SiriusXM platform and look forward to super serving our audiences,” said Denise Sherman, Majority Owner of Panache. “Grown Folk JAMZ is a timeless blend of music that our listeners have appreciated for most of their lives. As an African-American owned and majority woman owned platform we’re excited to provide a medium for underrepresented audiences and reach an even greater listenership via our relationship with SiriusXM.”

“SiriusXM is committed to not only providing the very best in audio entertainment, but also true diversity of content for all of our listeners. Project Amplify plays a vital role in that mission,” said Nicole Hughey, SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “Through Project Amplify we’re proud to provide a microphone to communities of all types, and to introduce our audience to new perspectives and cultures.”

 

In addition to Grown Folk JAMZ®, earlier this year SiriusXM announced the launch of Holy Culture Radio (ch. 154), a new spiritually-inspired talk and music channel. Other Project Amplify channels include: HUR Voices (ch.141) and HBCU Radio (ch.142) by Howard University; Korea Today (ch. 144); BYU Radio (ch. 143); En Vivo (ch. 152); and SLAM! Radio (ch. 145). For more information visit: siriusxm.com/projectamplify.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969’ To Be Released November 18

Eric Alper
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The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969’ To Be Released November 18

Experience Hendrix L.L.C. in partnership with Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, is releasing the Jimi Hendrix Experience Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969 this November 18 on 2LP vinyl, CD and all digital platforms. Recorded in the spring of 1969 before a raucous, sold out audience, the captivating performance of the original lineup (singer/guitarist Jimi Hendrix, drummer Mitch Mitchell, bassist Noel Redding) has never before been released in its entirety. This album comes out in time for the 80th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s birth (Nov 27).

Following the massive success of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1967-68 studio album trifecta (Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, Electric Ladyland), the trio had developed into the most popular international touring attraction in rock music. This widescale public interest coincided with the construction of new arenas for sporting events, among them the Forum in Inglewood, CA. Designed by famed architect Charles Luckman (who also designed New York’s rebuilt Madison Square Garden), this multi-purpose venue opened in 1967 as the home of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team and Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, but also began to serve as a music venue. Among the earliest concerts held there was Aretha Franklin in January 1968 and the Cream farewell tour with opening act Deep Purple in October of that year. The Jimi Hendrix Experience were booked to perform on April 26, 1969 with opening acts Chicago Transit Authority (soon-to-be renamed Chicago) and Cat Mother & The All Night Newsboys, the latter of whom shared management with the headliners. Floor seats cost $6.50 ($51.20 adjusted for inflation).

By the time the Jimi Hendrix Experience took the stage to blaze through a spirited set, live concert sound had drastically improved from the time of the Beatles baseball stadium tours, but crowd control was still a major concern. Between songs, Jimi pled with audience members to stop rushing the stage. A heavy police presence is felt; lyrics for their hit “Purple Haze” are altered (“‘Scuse me while I kiss that policeman!”) and Jimi dedicates “Spanish Castle Magic” to “the plain clothes police out there and other goofballs.” Hendrix treated each performance as a unique event. He never relied on a standard set list comprised only of his biggest commercial hits. This approach was on full display at the Forum performance, blending more familiar tunes such as “Foxey Lady” with “I Don’t Live Today” from Are You Experienced and his signature blues original“Red House” (“Everybody want to know what America’s soul is; everybody think it’s Motown . . . America’s soul is something more like this here”) which had still not yet been released in the US at this time. Furthermore, the group opened their set with a cover of “Tax Free” – an obscure 1967 instrumental by Swedish duo Hansson & Karlsson (consisting of Bo Hansson and Janne Karlsson), with whom the Experience had previously shared bills in Stockholm. Another unique highlight featured within the Forum performance was an early reimagining of “The Star Spangled Banner,” which Jimi would canonize four months later at Woodstock. “Here’s a song we was all brainwashed with,” Jimi trenchantly declares, at a time when the nation was in a state of great political unrest. The group closed their performance with a unique, extraordinary medley of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”. The song was an Experience favorite and a perfect live vehicle for the trio’s unparalleled improvisational skill.

The Jimi Hendrix Los Angeles Forum was recorded by Wally Heider and Bill Halverson contemporaneously, and recently remixed by longtime Hendrix producer/engineer Eddie Kramer for maximum audio fidelity. It was produced by Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and the sister of Jimi Hendrix, Kramer and John McDermott, who manages the Hendrix music catalog on behalf of Experience Hendrix. The package’s liner notes are by former LA Times staff writer/critic Randy Lewis with a preface by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons who attended the Hendrix Forum show, having toured with the Experience, as part of the Moving Sidewalks, his pre-ZZ band. Both Gibbons and Lewis provided commentary for yesterday’s LAist piece.

Also coming out during the month of Hendrix’s 80th birthday is the book JIMI. Published by Chronicle Books imprint Chroma for a November 15 release, this comprehensive visual celebration is an official collaboration with Janie Hendrix and John McDermott. JIMI significantly expands on the authors’ previously published titles, including An Illustrated Experience, and features a new introduction by Janie, extensive biographical texts, and a trove of lesser known and never-before-published photographs, personal memorabilia, lyrics, and more. Additionally, JIMI includes quotations by legendary musicians such as Paul McCartney, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, Lenny Kravitz, Eric Clapton, Drake, Dave Grohl and others who have spoken about Hendrix’s lasting influence.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969 tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Tax Free
3. Foxey Lady
4. Red House
5. Spanish Castle Magic
6. Star Spangled Banner
7. Purple Haze
8. I Don’t Live Today
9. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
10. Sunshine of Your Love
11. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Produced by Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer & John McDermott for Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.

ZZ Top Announces “Tres Hombres” Bourbon

Eric Alper
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ZZ Top Announces “Tres Hombres” Bourbon

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top announced today the launch of their second in a line of limited release whiskeys, Tres Hombres Bourbon. This second expression follows its collaborative “Texas Whisky”, first released in November 2021.

Tres Hombres Bourbon is made from 3 classic grains, 3 distinct mashbills, and 3 fierce years baked in the Southern heat – harkening back to classic Southern blues, amplified by the crunch of Texas rock n’ roll, and saturated in the tone of American Single Malt. Here’s to
memories formed over a full glass with friends at your side, and the music turned up loud.

ZZ Top has been synonymous with all that is the Lone Star State for more than five decades. Named the “Official Heroes” of the State of Texas and renowned for their signature blues-rock sound, ZZ Top’s studio albums have sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide and continuing.

“The launch of our 2021 Texas Whisky was an overwhelming success,” said Carl Stubner, Manager of ZZ Top. “Welook forward to sharing this new sweeter expression with our fans and friends to enjoy raising a glass to followers of good whisky across the country.

Tres Hombres Bourbon will be available beginning this week at select retailers in Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Long Out Of Print ‘Sly & The Family Stone: An Oral History’ By Joel Selvin Set For Reissue

Eric Alper
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Long Out Of Print ‘Sly & The Family Stone: An Oral History’ By Joel Selvin Set For Reissue

Long considered the definitive account of the meteoric career of the pioneer funk-rock band, Sly & the Family Stone: An Oral History by Joel Selvin, the 1998 classic that has been out of print for years, returns in a new, updated edition next month from Permuted Press.

Selvin, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, conducted more than forty interviews from all the group’s original members – the sole exception being the notoriously reclusive Sylvester Stewart himself – and the group’s closest associates in a spell-binding account of the dizzying climb and terrifying descent of the band’s career. The book is an unflinching look at one of music’s most influential and enigmatic figures.

Writing in Vanity Fair, David Kamp noted the classic status of the work, “Joel Selvin, the veteran music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle published a thoroughgoing, book-length oral history of the group in 1998 that is as disturbing and chilling a version as you’ll ever find of the ‘dashed 60s dream’ narrative: idealism giving way to disillusionment, soft drugs giving way to hard, ferment to rot. It’s agreed upon by everyone Selvin interviewed—which is pretty much everyone in Stone’s family, band, and circle of hangers-on, apart from Sly himself—that the bad craziness began when he forsook the Bay Area for Southern California, in 1970. Exit the music of hope and the gorgeous mosaic; enter firearms, coke, PCP, goons, paranoia, isolation, and a mean-spirited pet pit bull named Gun.”

Sly and the Family Stone was the groundbreaking aggregation of Blacks and Whites, men and women that symbolized the Woodstock generation and crossed over to dominate pop charts with anthems like “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” The book offers first-person accounts of the rise of the band not only from its members but also from Sly’s parents, other members of the family as well as rock figures including Grace Slick, Sal Valentino, Bobby Womack, Mickey Hart, Clive Davis, Bobby Freeman, and many more. In their own words, they candidly share the triumphs and tragedies of one of the most influential musical groups ever formed. It’s a collection of “different strokes” from the immensely talented folks who were there when it all happened that tells a story that is both compelling and cautionary.

Sly and the Family Stone perform “You Can Make It If You Try at The Harlem Cultural Festival, June 19, 1969:

The key to unlocking the real story of Sly and the Family Stone was finding Hamp (Bubba) Banks, a character of immense proportions; a former Marine and pimp, young Sly’s best friend, brother-in-law and de facto manager who had never before shared his story. Selvin embarked on a quest to locate him by knocking on hair salon doors up and down Third Street in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point neighborhood. Banks not only gave hours of riveting interviews, but also arranged for Selvin to speak with many other subjects including some of the career criminals who surrounded Sly Stone at his height. Along with Freddy Stewart, Sly’s brother and Family Stone band member, and San Francisco mayor London Breed, Selvin was one of three speakers at Banks’ funeral earlier this year. The new edition of the book is dedicated to Banks in recognition of the role he played in setting the Sly and the Family Stone record straight.

The world Banks and his associates revealed to Selvin was a scary, drug-crazed planet without clocks or even common sense, where Banks would eject Miles Davis from Sly’s apartment because Sly objected to the music Davis was playing on keyboards, where Gun, the vicious pit bull, would be set loose on marathon recording sessions while musicians ran for cover, where the mercurial and magisterial Sly Stone presided over every detail of everyone’s lives and treated all with reckless abandon. This nightmare vision comes even more alive in the words of the people who lived through it.

With the passing of key players like Hamp Banks, the band’s manager David Kapralik, and others interviewed for the 1998 book, the story Selvin captured can never again be told so fully. In fact, the interview transcripts from the original book have been subsequently utilized in both Selvin’s own August 2001 Mojo magazine cover article and the 2009 Sly Stone biography I Want to Take You Higher by Jeff Kaliss, prompting a disclaimer from Sly himself: “I don’t even know no Joel Selvin.”

Selvin is the author of more than twenty books on pop music. Director Rob Reiner has announced plans to make a feature film of Here Comes the Night, his biography of r&b songwriter/producer/label chief and mob intimate Bert Berns. His book with rock star Sammy Hagar, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, was a number one New York Times best-seller, and his recent Hollywood Eden tells the story of the kids whose music launched the myth of the California dream at the dawn of the 1960s.

Toronto-Based GROWERS Bring High Energy To “TTYL” New Single

Eric Alper
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Toronto-Based GROWERS Bring High Energy To “TTYL” New Single

Energy-based band and Pop Punk pioneers GROWERS showcase their new single ‘TTYL’. Released in September 2022, ‘TTYL’ is the second single from GROWERS’ new EP ‘Cry Baby’ coming soon in Winter 2023.

The four-piece rock outfit features the Toronto talent of lead vocalist Charlie Joy, guitarist Matt Raitt, drummer Chris Raitt, and bassist Nate Clapinson. Born in 2019 and residing in Toronto, Canada, GROWERS have had a plethora of successful shows including winning a battle of the bands in 2019 and playing a string of sold-out shows in Toronto following the global pandemic (Horseshoe Tavern, El Mocambo, and Lee’s Palace). In 2020, the band would continue their success by winning a $2,000 grant from Corus Entertainment for their single and music video ‘The 90’s’.

Speaking of the 90s, GROWERS have channeled their sound straight from this late era with a little bit of the early 2000s thrown in for good measure. Pop Punk at its finest with hints of Blink 182, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy throughout their sound. Crunchy AF guitars, popping bass, and bouncing drums all fall into place with the sound of GROWERS. Vocalist Charlie Joy sounds expressive and powerful releasing more energy than the Duracell Bunny.

‘TTYL’ arrives straight from the early 2000s and is the second single from their upcoming EP ‘Cry Baby’. Penned by guitarist Matt Raitt, the song went through those musical processes you always hear about, allowing producer Brad Nelson (Billy Talent, the Headstones, and Alanis Morrisette) to bring some input to the single by changing the verse sections. Matt enlisted Charlie to rewrite the verse and pre-chorus sections, allowing ‘TTYL’ to be brought into the light in its truest form. With a huge response from GROWERS fans at every live show, the band knew that this one was going to be made into a single.

With an intro chorus of searing vocals, stabby guitars, and blooming drums, ‘TTYL’ lifts off right from the beginning. Traditional 90s guitar and bass down-strums throughout the verses keep the pacing before launching into another soaring chorus. The energy that ‘TTYL’ brings to the room is enough to power Toronto on its own. An accompanying music video will be released in late October 2022. Directed by Matt Raitt, the band has said that the ‘TTYL’ video meets the demands of TikTok fans and is perfect for the platform with its quick cuts and visually stimulating content.

‘TTYL’ is released by GROWERS in Fall 2022, and to support the release, the band have almost wrapped-up their micro-tour of Southern Ontario—with dates in Ottawa, Montreal, Hamilton, London, Kingston, and Toronto in September/October.

Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts Unveils Its 2022-23 Concert Season

Eric Alper
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Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts Unveils Its 2022-23 Concert Season

Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts has unveiled the 2022-23 Season fall series lineup, bringing powerhouse headliners Miloš Karadaglić, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Bakithi Kumalo’s Graceland Experience, and The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra to Niagara wine country starting October 23 through December 18, 2022. Spring 2023 concerts will be announced later this year. View the entire fall lineup and purchase tickets here.

Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to inspiring passion for the arts through transformative musical performances and multidisciplinary artistic experiences in the Niagara Region. Watch this short reel featuring some of the extraordinary artists who have graced their stages in recent years here.

MILOŠ: Reflections And Reinvention

Sunday, October 23, 2022

2:00 PM

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre – Recital Hall, St. Catharines

“One of the most exciting and communicative classical guitarists today.” –The New York Times Miloš Karadaglić was named by BBC Music Magazine as one of the six greatest classical guitarists of the last century alongside guitar legend Andrés Segovia. “Every generation has that super special guitarist, one with star quality and universal appeal, praised for their effortless technique and musical integrity. We have Miloš – the hottest guitarist in the world.’ (The Sunday Times).

 

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee

Saturday, November 5, 2022

7:00 PM

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre – Recital Hall, St. Catharines

Bravo Niagara! is thrilled to welcome back internationally-acclaimed soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee as she delivers her trademark versatility in a program of classical and jazz including music from her newest album Measha JAZZ. Motivated and hungry for new experiences, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee’s career effortlessly embraces the broadest array of performance platforms and musical styles and genres. Measha began her career predominantly committed to the art of the song recital and has presented innovative programs at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Washington’s Kennedy Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, and both Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, among others.Voices of Freedom Festival Lead Sponsor: TD Bank Group

 

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra: A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas

Sunday, December 18, 2022

7:30 PM

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre – Partridge Hall, St. Catharines

*Rescheduled date. Tickets on sale now!

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, “The Most Explosive Force in Jazz” and winner of 19 Grammy Awards, performs A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas with special guest vocalist Carmen Bradford. The Count Basie Orchestra, today directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, performed for Kings, Queens, and other world Royalty, appeared in several movies, and at every major jazz festival and concert hall in the world.

Presented in partnership with the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre as part of the Bravo Niagara! TD Jazz Series

Carrellee Releases Video For ‘Morning Sun’ ; New Album ‘Scale Of Dreams’ Out November 18

Eric Alper
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Carrellee Releases Video For ‘Morning Sun’ ; New Album ‘Scale Of Dreams’ Out November 18

Carrellee releases the video for ‘Morning Sun’ today. The track is the first single taken from her forthcoming album Scale of Dreams out on November 18 (Negative Gain Productions.) Carrellee overlays delicately sensual vocals about divorce and desire over a wall of scorched synths and processed tapes. She had some help crafting her noir synth-pop sound from producer Brett Bullion (Low, Poliça.)

While writing new songs for this record, Carrellee started posting weekly demo videos, titled ‘The Official Unofficial Synth Series’ on social media amassing nearly one million streams on Facebook in 2021. ‘Scale Of Dreams’ conjures crushed artifacts of desire, with each instrument processed through crumpled and fried analog tape drawing inspiration from 80’s new wave icons Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush, as well as a wide variety of Italo disco and synthwave artists. The inspiration for ‘Morning Sun’ came to Carrellee in a dream during her divorce. In the morning she quickly transcribed it from her home studio, and shared the demo video on Facebook where it has received 379K views.

About Carrellee: Carrellee (aka Sarah Pray) grew up in a musical household in Wisconsin. Her dad taught her piano and by age five was learning jazz chords and music theory. She worked at recording studios in Madison and Minneapolis as an intern and then started creating her own music. She had a few releases under Sarah Pray and also has a folk duo album with her ex-husband Thomas Kivi performing as Kivi & Pray touring through Europe, and much of the US in the style of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. During the pandemic and divorce, she wanted to both experiment and return to her roots. “I am a big fan of female artists like Bjork, Angel Olsen, Fiona Apple, and PJ Harvey, who constantly evolve. I feel more in touch with myself more than ever since the divorce.” For her new sound Carrellee enlisted producer Brett Bullion (Low, Bad Bad Hats, Now, Now) to fine tune her songs.

About Negative Gain Productions: The label originally started in 1997 delivering classic industrial, EBM, darkwave, coldwave, post-punk, and goth music to the masses. In early 2011, Roger Jarvis (of KDC and HexRx) joined Micah Skaritka (of Cruciform Injection) to reboot the label. This reboot included rebranding and restructuring of the stable of bands on the label. The first three bands on the reboot were: HexRx, Kevorkian Death Cycle, and Alter Der Ruine. Since then, the label has released over 1200 songs, through 60 different bands and projects. Negative Gain’s approach to label curation is to find music that is just south of Mass Market. Music that would appeal to fans of 80’s and 90’s electronic and post-punk but has a sharper edge that might not be family room safe.

Amazon Music Expands Prime Benefit, With Full Catalogue of Music and the Most Top Podcasts Ad-Free

Eric Alper
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Amazon Music Expands Prime Benefit, With Full Catalogue of Music and the Most Top Podcasts Ad-Free

Today, Amazon Music has expanded its offering for Prime members, bringing them a full catalog of 100 million songs and the most top podcasts available ad-free, at no additional cost to their membership. With today’s news, Prime members can shuffle play any artist, album, or playlist, plus stream a selection of All-Access playlists on demand. Prime members can also access the largest catalog of ad-free top podcasts, including the Amazon Exclusive shows MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories, and Baby, this is Keke Palmer, premiering worldwide exclusively on Amazon Music now. Prime members can get the Amazon Music app below to begin streaming.

“When Amazon Music first launched for Prime members, we offered an ad-free catalog of 2 million songs, which was completely unique for music streaming at the time,” said Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music. “We continue to innovate on behalf of our customers, and to bring even more entertainment to Prime members, on top of the convenience and value they already enjoy. We can’t wait for members to experience not only a massively expanded catalog of songs, but also the largest selection of ad-free top podcasts anywhere, at no additional cost to their membership.”

The most ad-free top podcasts, plus new exclusive shows

Starting now, Prime members can listen to the most top podcasts ad-free and on demand, including shows they already know and love from CNN, NPR, The New York Times, and ESPN. Ad-free shows include the Wondery catalog of premium, binge-worthy podcasts like Dr. Death, SmartLess, and Even the Rich, and new Amazon Exclusive shows including MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories; Suspect: Vanished in the Snow; COLD Season Three: The Search for Sheree; Killer Psyche Daily; I Hear Fear, narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Carey Mulligan, and a weekly bonus episode of The Old Man and the Three, hosted by former NBA player JJ Redick. Today is also the global premiere of the Amazon Exclusive podcast series Baby, this is Keke Palmer, from the actress and multi-hyphenate entrepreneur Keke Palmer (NOPE). Prime members can join Keke each week as she geeks out with friends, family, celebrity guests, and some esteemed experts, and journey down the rabbit hole into her insatiable quest for answers, opinions, and the tea on everything.

In addition to new and exclusive ad-free podcasts, listeners will begin to see a new look for the Amazon Music app, including the new Podcast Previews feature, which lets customers easily preview a short, digestible soundbite from a podcast episode, allowing them to quickly discover and find new podcasts through simple swipes. Podcast Previews delivers curated clips designed to introduce new listeners to podcasts, and make it easier for existing podcast fans to find their next favorite show.

A new music experience for Prime members

Starting today, Prime members will now be able to stream even more music than ever before, with an expanded catalog of more than 100 million songs—up from 2 million—entirely ad-free. Prime members can discover more new music and podcasts based on their likes; shuffle play any artist, album, or playlist in the catalog; stream a collection of All-Access playlists tailored to personalized listening preferences on demand and download them for offline listening. Members can also upgrade to the Amazon Music Unlimited tier to enjoy on-demand access to albums, playlists, and over 100 million songs in HD and a growing catalog of songs in Ultra HD and Spatial audio. Learn more below.

Artists, Industry Leaders, Legal Experts Join Together To Protect Black Art

Eric Alper
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Artists, Industry Leaders, Legal Experts Join Together To Protect Black Art

Artists, industry leaders, and legal experts have joined together in a call to “Protect Black Art,” publishing an open letter in The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution urging legislators across America to limit how creative expression can be used against defendants on trial. Specifically, it calls for an end to the racially discriminatory practice of treating rap lyrics as confessions.

The lengthy list of diverse signatories includes companies such as Warner Music Group, Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, BMG, Kobalt, and Atlanta-based LVRN and Quality Control, AEG Presents, Audiomack, Deezer, Live Nation Entertainment, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Spotify, TIDAL, TikTok, and YouTube Music; organizations like the American Association of Independent Music, the American Civil Liberties Union, Artist Rights Alliance, Black Music Action Coalition, Black Women’s Roundtable, BLD PWR, Color Of Change, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, NYU Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law, People For the American Way, PEN America, Rap Coalition, the Recording Academy, the Recording Industry Association of America, Red Hot, Sankofa.org, Songwriters of North America, Sony Music Group’s Global Social Justice Fund, Warner Music Group / the Blavatnik Family Foundation’s Social Justice Fund, Woke Vote, and Universal Music Group’s Taskforce for Meaningful Change; legal and humanities scholars from elite universities including Columbia, Harvard, Howard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale; and artists and songwriters such as 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, 50 Cent, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Alicia Keys, Amy Allen, Baby Tate, Benson Boone, Big Sean, Black Eyed Peas, Breland, Brothers Osborne, Bryce Vine, Busta Rhymes, Camila Cabello, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, Cordae, D-Nice, Dave East, DJ Drama, DJ Khaled, Drake, Erica Banks, Fat Joe, Fredo Bang, Future, Giveon, grandson, Highly Suspect, Hit-Boy, Ice-T, IDK, Isaiah Rashad, J. Cole, Jack Harlow, Jadakiss, Jay Electronica, Jeezy, Joey Bada$$, John Legend, KayCyy, Killer Mike, Lainey Wilson, Lil Baby, Lil Jairmy, Lil Tjay, Lil Uzi Vert, Mac Phipps, Mary J. Blige, Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, Michelle Branch, Miguel, Moneybagg Yo, Morgan Wallen, NAV, Nessa Barrett, NLE Choppa, Normani, Omar Apollo, Pheelz, Polo G, Post Malone, Quavo, Questlove, Regina Spektor, Robin Thicke, Roddy Ricch, Shordie Shordie, Shy Carter, T.I., Takeoff, Tanna Leone, Teddy Swims, Tee Grizzley, Theo Croker, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, WILLOW, YBN Nahmir, and Yo Gotti.

Drafted and published by Warner Music Group (WMG), the letter reads in part:

Beyond the obvious disregard for free speech and creative expression protected by the First Amendment, this racially targeted practice punishes already marginalized communities and their stories of family, struggle, survival, and triumph.

Kevin Liles, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s 300 Elektra Entertainment, said: “For decades, a racial double-standard has been employed against Black and Brown hip-hop artists by turning their creative visions against them in courts of law. Enough is enough. If prosecutors are unwilling to end this practice on their own, then laws need to be passed that end this flagrant abuse. On behalf of WMG, I want to thank the extraordinary group of people across our industry and the legal community who are joining us in this critical fight.”

Julie Greenwald, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s Atlantic Music Group, said: “Throughout history, artists have created characters and forged narratives that reflect the culture around them. That freedom of expression is essential to the creative process and the role of art in society. The harsh reality is that Black artistic creativity is being threatened at an unprecedented level, and we must make every effort to stop this unethical, discriminatory approach to prosecution.”

Experts have found more than 500 cases involving rap as evidence in public records, and they note this number is just the tip of the iceberg. For the most part, this does not account for indictment proceedings, juvenile cases, or cases that end in a plea bargain, and plea bargains are an overwhelming majority of outcomes in criminal prosecutions. Meanwhile, researchers have found only four instances (link below) since the 1950s of non-rap lyrics being submitted as evidence – three of those cases were thrown out, and the fourth was overturned after conviction.

Legislators at the state and federal level are already taking action. Governor Newsom recently signed a bill into law in California, and there are bills currently under consideration in New York and New Jersey, as well as the RAP (Restoring Artistic Protection) Act introduced by Rep. Hank Johnson and Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the U.S. Congress.

The #ProtectBlackArt movement began earlier this year when Liles and Greenwald launched a change.org petition, which today has nearly 65,000 signatures.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ Achieves Hot 100 History

Eric Alper
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Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ Achieves Hot 100 History

Taylor Swift scores one of the most historic weeks in the 64-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as she becomes the first artist to claim the survey’s entire top 10 in a single frame. Leading the way for Swift on the Hot 100, “Anti-Hero” launches at No. 1, marking her ninth career leader. Swift now claims 13 of the top 15 spots on the chart with the entire standard version of Midnights.

All 10 songs in the Hot 100’s top tier are from Swift’s new LP Midnights, which, released Oct. 21 on Republic Records, blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with the biggest week for any release in seven years. Meanwhile, as Swift adds 10 new Hot 100 top 10s, she now boasts the most top 10s among women in the chart’s history, with 40. Plus, Midnights becomes the first album ever with as many as 10 Hot 100 top 10s.

Taylor Swift’s Midnights landed as the biggest album of the decade & biggest debut of her career with nearly 1.6 million total consumption in the US and 3 million worldwide. Midnights earned over 1 million US pure album sales in one week, the first album to achieve this since her own ‘reputation’ (2017). Midnights also broke the record for biggest vinyl sales week for any album ever and surpassed 1 billion global album streams in under one week, a new career high.

See below for the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10:

  1. “Anti-Hero”
  2. “Lavender Haze”
  3. “Maroon”
  4. “Snow on the Beach,” feat. Lana Del Rey
  5. “Midnight Rain”
  6. “Bejeweled”
  7. “Question…?”
  8. “You’re on Your Own, Kid”
  9. “Karma”
  10. “Vigilante Shit”
1...1,4511,4521,453...3,009Page 1,452 of 3,009

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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