Common and Pete Rock’s ‘Dreamin” video honors two dearly departed friends, J Dilla and De La Soul’s Trugoy The Dove, along with a ton of other folks.
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Donald Trump’s Sour Note: 14 Artists Who’ve Banned Their Music From His Campaigns
He likes to make an entrance whenever he enters the room, but not everyone wants their voice as former President Donald Trump’s background. The presidential candidate is making his third bid for the Oval Office after losing to President Joe Biden in 2020, and his MAGA followers are hoping for a win. One thing Trump is known for is his ongoing rallies and staying on the campaign trail, giving speeches to a crowd of supporters sporting red hats and touting American flags. Often, he spices things up with popular songs that exemplify his mission, but not every artist is keen on their art being used to support the MAGA leader.
With Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign obtaining permission to use Beyonce’s “Freedom” as their lead track, it’s clear that artists are picking sides in the upcoming U.S. election. However, throughout his political career, Trump has been publicly criticized by dozens of artists and musicians. It is true that he has his fair share of supporters in the entertainment industry, but he can’t seem to help himself by using the music of artists who aren’t his biggest fans. Check out several icons and hitmakers who have banned Trump from using their tracks.
1. Rihanna
In 2018, Trump’s team reportedly used Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music” at several rallies. When Rih & Co. learned of this, the singer’s legal team acted swiftly and denied giving Trump permission to use the song. They added that Rihanna doesn’t support Trump, nor do they know one another. When the pop icon was made aware of it on Xitter, she tweeted, “Not for much longer…me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up philip!
2. Beyoncé
At the recent Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris came to the stage with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” blasting overhead. The powerful 2016 track has captured attention ever since it was featured on Bey’s No. 1 album, Lemonade—so much so that Trump, too, decided to use the song last week. A video of the former president visiting Detroit, Michigan, to host another rally circulated online, with “Freedom” setting the stage. It reportedly didn’t take long for Beyoncé’s team to jump into action by sending a cease-and-desist letter to stop Trump in his tracks.
3. Pharrell Williams
There was a time when you couldn’t run from Pharrell Williams’s megahit “Happy.” The infectious single took over radio stations worldwide before being tapped for TV shows, commercials, and any platform that hosts music. In 2018, Trump rubbed Pharrell the wrong way when he played “Happy” at a rally that occurred mere hours after the synagogue shooting in Pennsylvania that claimed the lives of 11 victims. Pharrell, too, sent Trump’s team a cease-and-desist letter and issued a statement via his attorney, per CNN.
“On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist,’ you played his song ‘Happy’ to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” said the attorney. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose.”
4. Adele
During his 2016 run, Trump found himself leaning on two Adele favorites for his rallies. “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” have earned the British songbird acclaim, and Trump wanted to capitalize on the tracks’ familiarity. However, Adele wasn’t having it, and not only did she ban the Apprentice star from using her tunes, but she also publicly backed his opponent at the time, Hillary Clinton. “Don’t vote for him,” Adele reportedly said of Trump, via Vulture. “I am English, but what happens in America affects me, too. I am 100% for Hillary Clinton. I love her, she’s amazing.”
5. The Rolling Stones
Rock ‘n’ roll artists have also stepped forward to put Trump in his place, and The Rolling Stones added their name to the list. Trump became fond of including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in his campaign, but the classic rock band didn’t appreciate the sentiment. In 2020, a representative stated, “This could be the last time Trump uses any Jagger-Richards songs on his campaigns.” The group, along with BMI, also threatened to sue the former president if he continued without consent.
“The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,” a statement read. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”
6. Prince
The world lost an icon when The Artist Formerly Known As Prince passed away unexpectedly in 2016. His estate has been monitoring the use of his music, and it took issue with Trump in 2019. During his ongoing campaign trail, Trump’s team added “Purple Rain” to their playlist, to the dismay of Prince’s estate. Then, the estate reportedly shared a letter showing that Trump did not have permission to use the track at his rallies. He had been forbidden explicitly but seemed to carry on anyway.
7. The Beatles
One of the biggest bands of all time gave Trump the axe after he used their famed classic, “Here Comes the Sun.” Members of The Beatles weren’t happy to see that Trump played the track at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Lead guitarist George Harrison’s estate made their opinions clear in a tweet, saying, “The unauthorized use of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ at the RNC is offensive & against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.” They then quipped, “If it had been ‘Beware of Darkness,’ then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself.”
8. Isaac Hayes
One of Trump’s more recent legal run-ins with an artist or their estate comes courtesy of Isaac Hayes. Just this month, Hayes’s estate received a slight legal victory in their quest to take Trump to court over the unauthorized use of Sam & Dave’s classic, “Hold On, I’m Coming.” The former president played the song in 2022 at the National Rifle Association, which didn’t sit well with the estate.
“The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of ‘Hold on I’m coming’ by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekend’s @NRA convention,” the estate shared in a statement. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.” Additionally, the track’s co-songwriter, David Porter, tweeted his disgust. “Someone shared with me Donald Trump used the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ for a speaking appearance of his. Hell to the No! I did Not and would NOT approve of them using the song for any of his purposes! I also know Isaac’s estate wouldn’t approve as well! #Memphis #Music #Grammy.”
9. Queen
Event coordinators have been using Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as a theme song for decades, but the group wasn’t thrilled to hear the track at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The band took to Xitter to denounce the use of the track, while Sony/ATV Publishing also released a statement. “Sony/ATV Music Publishing has never been asked by Mr. Trump, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for permission to use ‘We are the Champions’ by Queen,” Forbes reported. “On behalf of the band, we are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist, which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.”
“Queen does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country,” the statement continued. “Nor does Queen want ‘We are the Champions’ to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”
10. The O’Jays
They gave us some of our favorite classic Soul records to ever be created, but The O’Jays stopped Trump after he played “For the Love of Money” on his reality show, The Apprentice. In 2016, cofounder Eddie Levert revealed to Billboard that Trump also used “Love Train” on the campaign trail. When he was told to stop, Levert said Trump’s team was a tad upset. “They got on me about it, said I got enough money from him so now I can kick dirt in his face.”
Levert added at the time, “I wish him the best, but I don’t think he’s the man to run our country. So when he started using ‘Love Train,’ I called him up and told them, ‘Listen, man, I don’t believe in what you’re doing. I’m not with you. I don’t want you to use my voice. I’m not condoning what you’re doing.”
11. Celine Dion
Earlier this month, Celine Dion’s representative came forward with a pointed message about Trump using her No. 1 hit, “My Heart Will Go On.” The song, which was featured in the global sensation film Titanic, made an appearance at a Trump rally in Montana. Dion’s team called the use “unauthorized” and added, “Really, THAT song?” The statement continued that in “no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.”
12. Panic! At The Disco
Rock band Panic! At the Disco don’t seem to be fans of Trump—at least lead vocalist Brendon Urie isn’t. He made his opinions clear in a tweet after Donald Trump Jr. was seen making an appearance at one of his father’s rallies in Arizona, walking out to “High Hopes.” Urie wasn’t having it. “Dear Trump Campaign, F*ck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song,” he tweeted. The singer added that Trump “represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November.”
13. Phil Collins
“In the Air Tonight” is one of Phil Collins’s greatest hits. The familiar track was heard at one of Trump’s Iowa rallies in 2020, to the singer’s dismay, who sent the former president a cease-and-desist letter. TMZ shared a copy of the letter in which Collins’s attorney detailed his client’s grievances. “Mr. Collins has serious concerns that the manner in which the Trump campaign has used ‘In the Air Tonight’ has caused, and will cause, damage to Mr. Collins’ reputation and popularity with the public.”
14. Elton John
Rock icon Elton John was a fixture in Trump’s campaign trail after the former president continued to use his classic hit, “Rocket Man.” Trump didn’t get approval for the song, and John came forward with a complaint. He stated that he didn’t have any personal with the politician but wanted to keep his music out of the election process in the U.S.
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Meek Mill Freestyles Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Euphoria’ & Drake’s ‘Family Matters’ Diss Songs
Meek Mill has returned to his freestyle roots, this time delivering bars over two instrumentals from the recent feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
DNC Producer Sets The Record Straight On Beyonce’s Rumored Appearance
The Democratic National Convention was a star-studded event. Lil Jon showed up to perform. Kenan Thompson did a comedic bit onstage. There was even sightings of Oscar-winning director Spike Lee in the crowd. The one celebrity everybody wanted to see, though, was Beyonce. The internet reached a fever pitch during the multi-day event, determining that Queen Bey would give a surprise performance and endorse Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. This, of course, didn’t happen. Beyonce did not show up, and fans were disappointed. The producers for the event, however, are not accepting the blame.
Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, the executive producer and director of the DNC, broke their silence on the Beyonce rumors August 27. They made it very clear from the onset that Beyonce was never involved with the event. Furthermore, Kirschner told The Hollywood Reporter that he denied the rumors at every opportunity, so that fans wouldn’t be upset. “We never put out anything about Beyonce,” he asserted. “We denied it every time the media asked us. Even though people on my staff didn’t believe me. I kept getting texts from news organizations…”
Read More: Plies Questions Black Men Who Don’t Support Kamala Harris
Beyonce’s Mother Has Publicly Endorsed Kamala Harris
The executive producer never intended to recruit Beyonce, because he felt her presence would have overshadowed the star of the DNC: Kamala Harris. “We have the biggest star, the Democratic nominee for president,” Kirshner noted. “Why would we overshadow that?” To be fair to the fans, Kamala Harris has aligned herself with Beyonce multiple times. The politician praised Beyonce’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, on social media. She walked out to the Beyonce song “Freedom” when it was first announced she would be running for President. And, Queen Bey’s mother, Tina Knowles, has openly endorsed Harris.
Glenn Weiss, the aforementioned director of the DNC, laid the rumor completely at the feet of people online. “This is the Internet taking on a life of its own and people taking something as fact,” he stated. “Literally to the point that people in my booth are saying: ‘Is she coming? You can tell me.’” Weiss also pointed out that TMZ picked up the rumor, and later had to issue an apology. “It was pretty crazy,” he concluded. “But she wasn’t coming.”
Read More: Kamala Harris Unleashes Beyonce-Assisted Presidential Campaign Ad
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Rakim Claps Back At Festival Crowd For Throwing Bottles Onstage: Watch
Rakim and Insane Clown Posse are not two acts you’d typically link together. And yet, the former did a show at ICP’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival. Rakim had a set of new and old songs in store for the crowd, but things went awry when bottles started being hurled at his head. The rapper made it very clear that he didn’t appreciate the disrespect. He proceeded to stop the show and lay into the ICP audience for putting his safety at risk. Evidently, Rakim is not someone you want to tick off.
“Chill with the motherf**king bottles, man,” Rakim told the audience. He tried to recover the momentum he’d lost after the bottle incident, but it proved fruitless. “For everybody that came to have a good time, make some noise,” he added, to no avail. It was here that the God MC decided to get stern. He laid out his frustration with the incident and made it very clear he wasn’t going to tolerate it again. “‘Cause, you know, I’m not tryna get hit with no f**king bottle, man,” he stated. “I love y’all, but I don’t wanna walk off stage while we having a good time, you know what I mean?”
Read More: Rakim Wants To Make A Sequel To One Of Will Smith’s Classic Singles
Rakim Threatened To Leave The Juggalos Stage
The set was likely not what Rakim had in mind when he first announces his comeback. The rapper put out his first new album since 2009 in July, and spoke endlessly about his desire to prove he still had a musical spark. “The expectations that I not only give myself, but what the people give me,” he explained to Billboard. “I use that as fuel. I’d rather people expect me to succeed than to expect me to fail. I gotta keep doing it at a higher rate because that’s what they expect from me.”
Rakim also talked about the rush he gets from performing in front of a crowd. He told the New York Post that he never thought he’d get the chance to rap into his mid-50s, much less sell out venues. “In one of my rhymes, I said, ‘I’ma move crowds to 2,000 and somethin,” the emcee recalled. “But I had no idea I’d still be here rhyming at 50-something. For me, it ain’t something I could just fall out of love with. It’s who I am.” Hopefully the next show goes better.
Read More: Rakim Thinks Drake Vs. Kendrick Lamar Battle Validated Real Hip Hop
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Juicy J Claims He Makes Money From 90% Of New Songs Due To Samples
Juicy J has been making music since 1987. He is a legend in the game, and his work with Three 6 Mafia continues to have an impact on the current wave of artists. There’s no ASAP Mob without Three 6, nor is there dozens of Southern acts who grew up listening to them. Juicy J reflected on his impressive legacy during a Spring Hill interview with Wiz Khalifa. If the rapper is to be taken at his word, his impact on music is even more substantial than we realized. Juicy J claimed that he makes money off a whopping 90% of new rap songs.
The whole thing came about from a simple question. Wiz Khalifa asked Juicy if he keeps tabs on the new wave of artists. The latter confirmed that he did, but not for the reasons one would expect. Juicy J knows who’s popping and who’s not because he gets tons of sample clearance requests on a daily basis. “I feel like the new trends is the old trends,” he explained. “Everybody’s sampling Three 6 Mafia, so I’m already in.” Juicy J went on to estimate that he gets 5-6 sample clearance requests a day from younger artists.
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Juicy J Claims To Clear 5-6 Sample Requests A Day
“On some real sh*t,” he told Wiz Khalifa. “5 to 6 samples a day. I get paid off of pretty much every song. Like 90% of the songs that’s out right now.” Juicy J made it clear that he wants younger artists to sample his music and build on his style. “It’s a blessing,” he asserted. “I love when people sample… I just keep doing what I’ve been doing.” This isn’t the first time Juicy J had shown love to artists who continue to pay homage to Three 6 Mafia. The rapper hopped on Twitter in 2023 to express how grateful he was to still be considered a relevant musical force.
“Peace & love to Three6Mafia,” he wrote. “Great to witness our Music still going strong like it never left. People across the world sampling & remaking the songs we are grateful thank you All.” Juicy J is dead on when he noted that his style still sounds fresh today. The rapper just dropped a new solo album, Ravelite Social Club, and it’s one of his best to date. Juicy pushes his sound into a smoother, jazzy area, and it led to some absolute standout moments.
Read More: Juicy J Picks Megan Thee Stallion Over Nicki Minaj, Co-Signs “HISS”
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Missy Elliott Has Reportedly Secured A Major Win In The Legal Fight Over Aaliyah’s Song Royalties
It has been twenty-three years since Aaliyah’s tragic death. Although the “One In A Million” singer isn’t here in the physical sense, her essence lives on through her acclaimed music catalog.
With the Aaliyah’s discography available on streaming, new fans are quickly discovering and sharing her beloved records, which means more generated revenue for her estate and former collaborators. Sadly for Missy Elliott, instead of celebrating this new era of Aaliyah appreciation, she has found herself fighting it out in court over royalties. But according to AllHipHop, Missy Elliott has secured a major legal win in the matter.
The “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” rapper and producer’s 2018 lawsuit with Terry Williams has temporarily swayed in Elliot’s favor. Williams presented his case for song co-authorship and royalties of thirty-four unpublished songs some odd songs. Now a judge has ruled that legally Aaliyah’s “Heartbroken” isn’t one of them due to the expired statute of limitations.
“Williams commenced this action against Elliott on November 14, 2018, over twenty-two years after the release of ‘Heartbroken,’” said the Judge Quiñones Alejandro. “Under these circumstances, this Court further finds that Williams has failed to offer evidence that he exercised due diligence. As such, Williams’ co-ownership claim based on the song ‘Heartbroken’ released by Aaliyah is barred by the three-year statute of limitations.”
The judge may have dismissed Williams claim on that track. However, their pair’s fight is from from over. Williams’ claims made against former hip-hop group SISTA’s use of his creative works made with Elliott, a then member, can still be heard by the courts.
Williams alleges that he and Elliott were collaborators between 1993 and 1996, where they worked on releases for acts 702, Total and more.
Terry Williams is seeking co-author credit on the tracks the pair supposedly worked on, damages for breach of contract, and compensation for unjust enrichment.
Drake Teases Unreleased Kendrick Lamar Collab In New “100 Gigs” Clip
Drake is continuing to play the long game. The rapper has been steadily dishing out content on his 100 Gigs website. More recently, the content seems to be focused on people he currently has beef with. He posted a 2013 clip in which he praised Kanye West. Then, days later, he followed the controversial artist on Instagram. Drake did it again on August 27. The rapper decided to upload a clip in which him and his longtime producer discuss a Kendrick Lamar collaboration. A collaboration none of us knew about.
The bulk of the clip sees producer Noah “40” Shebib tinker with a beat. Drake then enters the frame and proceeds to explain how Kendrick Lamar will sound great on it. “For him, where he’s at,” Drake explained. “I know he’s gonna murder this.” 40’s response suggests that he made the beat specifically for a Drake and Kendrick Lamar collab. “When you told me Kendrick,” he noted. “It just made so much sense.” The beat in question was co-produced by Dreamville artist Omen. We know this because the beat was later used by Action Bronson on the 2013 song “Actin’ Crazy.”
Read More: Drake Backtracks After Teasing Round 2 With Kendrick Lamar
Drake Was Excited To Rap With K. Dot In Old Footage
The release date of the Bronsolino song helps provide a time frame for when the Drake and Dot collab was supposed to happen. The two rappers linked up for “Poetic Justice” in 2012 and “F*ckin Problems” in 2013. Issues arose later in the year, when Lamar dropped the “Control” verse and Drake threw a few subs his way on the song “The Language.” Drake’s physical appearance in the 100 Gigs clip aligns with this timeframe. It’s unclear whether Lamar ever spit a verse on the “Actin’ Crazy” beat, or if Drake even put down bars.
What is clear, though, is the chess move. Drake is very purposely putting material about Kendrick Lamar on his website. The rapper seemingly wants the battle to keep going, and is resorting to tactics that are less direct than a diss song. An internet theory is that Drake will eventually release evidence that he fed Lamar’s team the false information that was used on “Meet the Grahams.” There’s noting to support this, but we are entering new territory in terms of Lamar-related content. The next few weeks should be interesting, to say the least.
Read More: Drake And The Weeknd Appear To Hate Eachother In Resurfaced “100 Gigs” Clip
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DJ Scheme Teases Two New Posthumous Juice WRLD Albums
Juice WRLD has been gone since 2019, but his music continues to dazzle listeners. He was a wildly prolific artist, which is why there have been more posthumous releases that official releases during his lifetime. Juice WRLD had a lot of music he wanted to get out. It sounds like fans will get a chance to hear more of it soon. DJ Scheme, Juice’s longtime collaborator, dropped a bombshell announcement on Twitter on August 27. He made it known that two posthumous Juice WRLD albums are in the works.
DJ Scheme told fans that he’d recently been in touch with Lil Bibby. The latter is the founder of the A Grade label that Juice WRLD was part of during his lifetime. Scheme claimed that Lil Bibby gave him an update with regards to new Juice WRLD, and that two different projects would be hitting shelves soon. The first would be an album comprised of entirely new material. The second would be a greatest “leaks” to commemorate some of the unreleased tracks that fans have heard over the years. “I know I said this before,” DJ Scheme wrote. “Bibby told me there an album and then another project full of his ‘greatest leaks.’ Jus tryna keep y’all updated.”
Read More: XXXTentacion & Juice WRLD’s Teams Seemingly Tease Posthumous Collab
Juice WRLD’s Estate Will Release Fan Favorite Leaks
I know I said this before but Bibby told me there an album and then another project full of his “greatest leaks”
jus tryna keep yall updated
— SCHEME (@DJSCHEME_) August 28, 2024
Juice WRLD’s posthumous released have been well received by fans and critics. It seems like there is lots of care taken with the mastering process. Plus, the rapper left behind so much music that his estate haven’t had to resort to recycling verses. He even got a posthumous feature on an Eminem album. There has been some hiccups along the way, though. At the top of the month, producer Joshua Jaramillo sued the Juice WRLD estate over songwriting royalties. He claimed that he co-wrote the song “Girl of My Dreams” and was subsequently given the runaround when it came to residual pay.
There have been some accusations of exploitation on the part of the rapper’s estate. Especially with lead singles being released under the ghoulish title of “Already Dead.” That said, the estate claimed that Juice WRLD wanted his music to be heard and shared with the world. “There was nothing more [he] enjoyed more than delivering new music to his millions of fans around the world,” the statement read. “He left behind an astonishingly deep catalog of music that will ensure his fans will have new songs to listen to for years to come.”
Read More: Nicki Minaj Previews Drake & Juice WRLD Collabs Ahead Of Next “Pink Friday 2” Deluxe
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Bad Bunny Has Reportedly Been Cast In ‘Caught Stealing,’ Darren Aronofsky’s Next Film
Chart-topping global music superstar, check. WWE-stamped wrestling act, check. Budding on-screen actor, check. Bad Bunny’s professional resume continues to grow. According to Deadline, the “Baticano” musician’s next movie role is in the works.
In the outlet’s exclusive report, Bad Bunny will join the cast of Darren Aronofsky’s next film, Caught Stealing. At this time, not much is known about Benito’s supposed role. However, the forthcoming motion picture is said to be a crime thriller.
All outlines describe Caught Stealing as: “A tale following main character Hank Thompson (played by Austin Butler), “a burned-out former baseball player, as he’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of ‘90s New York City.”
Although Bad Bunny proudly hails from Puerto Rico, the film’s rumored look into the private life of baseball players is something he surely can relate to given his own sports agency. While supporters of Bad Bunny will have to practice patience to learn more about his reportedly cameo, other details surrounding the production has been released.
As Aronofsky is locked in as its official director for Sony Pictures, the responsibility of the film’s script rests with Charlie Huston. It is said that Caught Stealing is based on Huston’s book. Protozoa has been credited as the film’s producer. Other cast members are rumored to include Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, and Will Brill.