I’m back in a New York state of mind after a week in the Vineyard relaxing with my feet in the sand. It honestly felt too short. Now I’m playing catch-up before we head into Labor Day. August is weird for workaholics.A lot happened in the world of sports the past week. As the NFL season prepares to kick off, the league linked with Hip-Hop’s El Padrino, Jay Z, and his Roc Nation outfit for a very savvy pact. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this deal but I honestly believe it’s a win all around.Jay isn’t going to be performing the halftime show, he has a seat at the producer’s table now, and Roc Nation is advising the NFL on various entertainment projects. That’s how culture is shifted. Sure, it kills our Nue concept of creating an alternative halftime show because all eyes will be on this year’s performance, but for the NFL, it brings credibility in multiples areas.Even better, there are rumors that Hov might buy into one of the teams. That puts him in an even stronger position when the league’s decisions are made. Did he turn his back on Colin Kapernick by doing this? It may feel like that short term, but long term I think Jay Z is fighting for the cause and keeping Kaep front of mind.Less than a month before week 1. Let’s see how it all plays out!
BEATS
Why Is Everyone Always Stealing Black Music?For centuries, black music, forged in bondage, has been the sound of complete artistic freedom. No wonder everybody is always stealing it. (NY Times)
Shazam Data Is Powering Apple Music’s Newest ChartApple continues to make use of Shazam, the music recognition app it acquired for $400 million in 2018. Earlier this month, Apple publicly launched its Music for Artists dashboard which included insights powered by Shazam data. (Tech Crunch)
What Do Rally Playlists Say About the Candidates? Presidential campaigns have a sound. We analyzed the playlists of 10 contenders to see how the songs aligned with the messages. (NY Times)
Why This Is a Golden Age for New Artists (So Long as They Keep Their Ambitions in Check)What Is happening to streaming’s superstars? That was the big question asked in this very column two months ago. The answer, delivered by a myriad of game-changing stats: they’re getting squeezed.
Chinese Pop Stars EXO, Lay Zhang, Jackson Wang, and Victoria Song Back China Against Hong KongThese C-pop singers uploaded pictures of the Chinese flag to their personal websites and posted statements affirming the One-China Policy, which holds that just one Chinese state, led by Beijing, exists, and that autonomous entities in and around China, like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, should one day be governed by China’s Communist Party. (Digital Music News)
Apple Goes on Tour With 16 Musicians in Latest 'Shot on iPhone' CampaignApple essentially created the digital music industry, and has celebrated its musical ties with ebullient ad campaigns going back to the iPod Silhouettes. Now, for the summer festival season, it's returning to a focus on music—this time seen through the lens of its long-running "Shot on iPhone" campaign. (Muse by Clio)
After FLiK Loses 99.26% of Its Value, T.I. Continues to Battle Allegations of Cryptocurrency FraudMost of the original lawsuit’s content revolved around the rapper’s tweets about the failed ICO. That complaint alleges that Harris and Felton ran a pump and dump scheme, hyping FLiK with celebrity endorsements. Investors claim they were outright duped, even though they were investing in a highly speculative financial bet with no regulations. (Digital Music News)
Which Rappers Drop the Most Money In Their Music Videos?It used to be difficult to quantify just who portrayed the most luxurious lifestyle in their music videos, but the Betway BlingDex charts now provide a definitive answer. This ranking system, derived from an analysis of 40 Billboard Top 100 rap videos, reveals that Lil Wayne’s ‘Lollipop’ is the blingiest of them all. (Digital Music News)
Universal Launches Hip-Hop Label In India With Nas and Mass AppealUniversal Music Group is launching a new hip-hop-focused label in India in partnership with legendary rapper Nas and Mass Appeal.Mass Appeal India is being touted by the major music company as “an innovative new label dedicated to amplifying India’s burgeoning hip-hop culture on a global scale”. (Music Business Worldwide)
Music Streaming’s Real Value for Most Artists Is Data, Not MoneyNot to be outdone by Spotify, rival service Apple Music released Apple Music for Artists on Thursday — an analytics platform that had spent the last year in beta mode but is now available for all artists on the streaming service. (Rolling Stone)
Merck Mercuriadis’s Hipgnosis Songs Buys The Chainsmokers CatalogHipgnosis Songs Fund Limited has splashed the cash again.This time, the publicly traded UK-based company has acquired both writer and publishing rights in the catalog of The Chainsmokers, the artist and producer duo made up of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart, for an undisclosed fee. (Music Business Worldwide)
Apple Music For Artists vs. Spotify For Artists: A Side By Side ComparisonLate last week Apple Music For Artists exited beta and became available to any artist with music on the platform. Since this is Apple's overdue answer to Spotify For Artists, we wondered how the two platforms compared.
5 YouTube Channels Everyone In Music Ought To FollowThe price of a music business education can seem out of reach to many aspiring industry hopefuls, but thanks to the rise of YouTube, there are a number of incredible and informative resources out there available for free. Here we look at five such channels that are a must for anyone in the music biz.
Apple Music vs Spotify In One Easy InfographicSpotify and Apple Music are the two biggest players in music streaming. But how do they compare in size, availability, cost, features and more? This infographic provides some answers. (Hypebot)
This Is The Album Of The FutureWhat makes an album such a powerful statement is that the artists and producers craft a complete experience for the listener, not only through a cohesive musical idea but through its presentation: artwork, information, liner notes, and now virtually any form of media. (New Music USA)
BYTES
The head of Sean Combs' media business discusses the challenges of running the independent company that aims to be a hub for hip-hop culture in all its permutations. Khanna, an alumnus of NBCUniversal and MGM Television, details Revolt's plans to expand its reach with comedy programming and live events.
A quick wrap-up of the week's hottest videos, including the Jonas Brothers and lots more. See if your favorite made the show. Find out about all the new stuff, from and more.
AFROPUNK is defining culture by the collective creative actions of the individual and the group. The AFROPUNK 2019 app is the essential companion to your Festival experience.
After being a staple in the rap scene for eight years now, Young Thug has finally offered up his debut studio album ‘So Much Fun’. Known for his unique squeal and incomprehensible delivery, Thug’s evolution from his three-part mixtape series ‘I Came From Nothing’ to now is clear to see on an album that provides a little light for the dark times. (NME)
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!