This letter, signed by a ton of artists and pictured above, is set to appear in an ad in Billboard:

We are big fans of Pandora. That's why we helped give the company a discount on rates for the past decade.

Pandora is now enjoying phenomenal success as a Wall Street company. Skyrocketing growth in revenues and users. We celebrate that. At the same time, the music community is just now beginning to gain its footing in the new digital world.

Pandora's principal asset is the music.

Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon? That's not fair, and that's not how partners work together.
Congress has many pressing issues to consider, but this is not one of them. Let's work this out as partners and continue to bring fans the great musical experience they rightly expect.

Pink Floyd, Down, Primus, Dead Kennedys (with our without Jello?), Nas, Alabama, Sheryl Crow and many more big major label names signed this (or someone signed it on their behalf). Check out the full list below, and head to fairpayforartists.com for more information on their point of view..

The issue is that Pandora is supporting the Internet Radio Fairness Act which they say will "help end the long-standing discrimination against internet radio". Artists are mad because that possibly means less money for them, but Pandora and other Internet radio providers argue they can't stay in business the way things are now.

Continue reading "A bunch of artists wrote an open letter to Pandora who support the Internet Radio Fairness Act"

As rumored, rivals Fat Joe and 50 Cent came together to honor Chris Lighty at the BET Hip Hop Awards last night. Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Diggy Simmons, Phife Dawg, LL Cool J and Funkmaster Flex took part of the 10 minute segment too. Watch it below...

Continue reading "VIDEO: watch Chris Lighty tribute @ BET Hip Hop Awards (A Tribe Called Quest, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Fat Joe & more)"

Is there anything more confusing than two up and coming, feuding female hip hop stars, both with the name "Azalea" (like the flower), but one is a last name and one is a first name spelled "Azealia"?

The latter just played her first two shows ever at Coachella and is now on her way back to NYC (the 212) to work with Missy Elliot (and she is very proud of that). Earlier today she was tweeting at T.I. (see above) for calling her feud with his Australian Grand Hustle signee Iggy Azalea "bitch shit," or some sexist shit like that.

Iggy Azalea is playing SOB's in NYC on May 17, right before she plays Bamboozle in NJ. Tickets for the NYC show are on sale.

Continue reading "Iggy Azalea continues fued with Azealia Banks, playing SOB's"

DOWNLOAD: Crystal Castles - Suffocation (Memory Tapes Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (Tanlines Remix) (MP3)

Memory Tapes is in the process of recording the follow-up to his/their 2009 debut, Seek Magic. The next show for Dayve Hawk & Co. will be on Saturday, June 26th (NOT Friday, June 25th as it accidentally got listed as in some places), when they headline BrooklynVegan Northside show with Twin Sister, DOM and ZAZA. Tickets are still on sale. We also have a couple pairs to giveaway. If you want them, email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Memory Tapes) with your first and last name. Winners will be picked at random and contacted.

Dayve recently did a remix of Crystal Castles' "Suffocation," while Tanlines gave Memory Tapes' "Bicycle" the treatment. Download both above. A new video for "Bicycle", by Jamie Harley, is posted with all tour dates (including a run of Australia shows with Missy Elliott), below...

Continue reading "Memory Tapes remixed Crystal Castles, was remixed by Tanlines - MP3s, new video, ticket contest & overseas dates"

some hip hop in the news
* Rapper's Road to Pop
* P Diddy did not change his name
* Fifty Cent and His Ex Get Court Orders
* Nas moves new album back two weeks
* Missy Elliott prepares for a summer "Block Party"
* DJ Green Lantern & Nas release The Nigger Tape
* On 'Carter III,' Lil' Wayne perfects the art of the brag
* Kanye West, Lupe & N.E.R.D. added another NYC show
* Lil Wayne's CD, fueled by leaks, poised to sell more than any album so far this year

Black Sheep are playing Knitting Factory in NYC tonight (6/11).

Cat Power and John Legend share a bill in Chicago....

Coldbrains wins...

The tour kicks off in Chicago and will continue throughout the month of April with stops in New York, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles.

Singers/songwriters Cat Power, Colbie Caillat and John Legend will perform at the historic Vic Theatre in Chicago on April 3, the first stop in the five-city tour. Rappers Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott will headline the next stop at Webster Hall in the heart of the East Village, New York, on April 9. The tour continues on to Miami with Latin artists Kat Deluna, Ozomatli and Pitbull performing at the recently remodeled Fillmore Miami Beach at the historic Jackie Gleason Theatre in the heart of the city's renowned Art Deco district. Rap-rocker Kid Rock takes the stage at the Granada Theatre in Dallas on April 23. The tour concludes in Los Angeles on April 30 with dance-pop vocalist Seal and rapper Sean Kingston at the Avalon in Hollywood.

yes, Cat Power and John Legend are on the same bill in Chicago.