Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign recently dropped off their new album Vultures 1. In fact, the album came out over the weekend and fans have been eager to give it more listens. Overall, the release was a bit confusing. It was dropped off on Apple Music and Amazon Music, but not Spotify. Eventually, the album came out on Spotify but there was a period where it had been taken off of Apple Music. This is the norm with a lot of Kanye releases, so fans were not all that surprised by the confusion.
Subsequently, the estate of Donna Summer spoke out about how the song “I Feel Love” was interpolated on “Good (Don’t Die).” As the story goes, Kanye wanted to sample it but was denied permission. Consequently, Ye allegedly took matters into his own hands and used AI to get what he wanted. “Kanye West… asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love… copyright infringement!!!” the estate said.
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Recording artist Kanye West performs onstage during The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the STAPLES Center on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)
According to Billboard, the song has been taken off of Vultures 1, although just the Spotify version. Every other streaming platform still has the song, which has brought about some confusion. Whatever the case, it is clear that the Donna Summer complaint has made an impact on the album. Only time will tell whether or not Kanye will be able to put the track back on his project.
Let us know how you have been feeling about Vultures, in the comments section down below. What is your favorite track so far? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming releases.
Usher’s music is getting a huge boost on streaming services following his performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, last Sunday. HipHopDX reports a 550 percent increase in his Spotify streams while four songs in particular moved up 1000 percent. “Caught Up” got the biggest boost with a 2000 percent jump in streams. His Super Bowl Halftime set was the second-highest TV audience in U.S. history behind the 1969 moon landing with 123 million viewers.
On stage he performed many of his biggest hits including “My Boo,” “Caught Up,” “U Don’t Have to Call,” “Superstar,” “Love in this Club,” and more. He also welcomed several guests such as Alicia Keys, H.E.R., and Ludacris, among others.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Usher performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
One of the many headline-grabbing moments from the show came when Usher embraced Alicia Keys on stage. Many viewers felt it inappropriate, considering she’s married to Swizz Beatz. Swizz, however, didn’t seem to have an issue with the move and chalked it up to showmanship on Instagram afterward. “Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium,” Swizz wrote. “Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history. Go see GIANTS at @brooklynmuseum it’s open until July blessings.”
In addition to the Halftime Show, Usher dropped a new album titled Coming Home. Outside of music, Usher has also been winning in his personal life. After his performance at the Super Bowl, he and his partner, Jennifer Goicoechea, rushed off to get married. He shared pictures from the wedding ceremony on Instagram later in the week. Be on the lookout for further updates on Usher on HotNewHipHop.
West seemed pretty happy about that. On Instagram last night (February 11), West took to his Story to share a tweet making note of the achievement, offering no additional context or opinions beyond the unadorned screenshot.
West’s Spotify win, though, didn’t last long: On the charts dated February 12 and 13, Swift had returned to No. 1. So, by the time West shared the news, it was outdated. Worth noting is that this all happened right after West dropped an anticipated new album, while Swift is currently getting by on months-old material.
This follows a report that Swift got West kicked out of Super Bowl LVIII this past weekend. As HipHopDX notes, former NFL player Brandon Marshall claimed that West had purchased tickets that would have placed him right in front of Swift. Marshall then claimed, “Taylor Swift gets pissed off, she boom boom makes a call or two. Everybody’s involved. He gets kicked out the stadium! He was trying to leverage her celebrity. […] That’s what he tried to do: he tried to sit in front of Taylor Swift.”
The publication notes, though, that despite what Marshall said, West was seen in the stadium multiple times, like when he was spotted in a luxury suite with Ty Dolla Sign and Anderson. Paak.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
A huge chunk of Lil Uzi Vert’s most devoted fans bring in a shockingly high percentage of the artist’s total SoundCloud revenue, according to Spotify’s former Chief Economist Will Page. Page broke down the financial numbers behind Uzi’s success and the backing of their fanbase during an interview with Trapital. He began by explaining that he tracked data from the time surrounding the release of Uzi’s EP, Red & White, in 2022.
“I was interested in understanding in how his fan distribution changed during that couple of months during that release schedule. When you hear reports about, ‘Find your superfans on Spotify,’ you know how much those superfans are worth? They’re worth exactly the same as everyone else because the pro-rata model equalizes out the streams,” Page said. “And in the case of Lil Uzi Vert – in the first month under analysis, we saw that five percent of his fans were superfans and generated 50 percent of his revenue. Add in the marketing campaign, the release schedule, the big push to these superfans, what did he achieve in month two? Seven percent of those superfans generating 70 percent of his revenue.”
Lil Uzi performs for the Pink Tape Tour at Barclays Center on November 20, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)
From there, Page remarked: “Now that’s really important, and I mean this. I’m not exaggerating. It’s perhaps the first real mathematical description of fandom we’ve ever had.” Check out Page’s full breakdown of the numbers behind Uzi’s fanbase below.
Lil Uzi Vert’s Fandom Detailed
ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark”>ss=”yoast-text-mark” dir=””>=”ltr” lang=”en”>Lil Uzi Vert generated 70% of revenue from 7% of fans on SoundCloud. pic.twitter.com/Nhsh5K3upW
The report on Uzi’s fanbase comes after they mysteriously deleted their social media accounts on Friday. Without explanation, Uzi took down both their Twitter and Instagram pages. Be on the lookout for further updates on Lil Uzi Vert on HotNewHipHop.
It’s been an even wilder past few hours for Kanye West fans than usual, as he finally dropped his Ty Dolla $ign collab album, Vultures. Moreover, the project only landed on Apple Music over the weekend, which obviously had non-users quite pressed and panicked online. However, the LP finally landed on Spotify, YouTube, and presumably other platforms, although it’s still under kind of bizarre technical circumstances. Vultures will show up if you search for it on Spotify, but at press time, it doesn’t appear on Ye’s artist page, which might just be a technical glitch that will be fixed very soon.
Still, there’s the chance that Spotify eventually takes the album down, just like Apple Music seemingly did earlier today (Saturday, February 10). But this could just be due to other technical difficulties, not any action from an entity specifically, so perhaps we’ll never know the real answer there. Kanye West had previously shared text message conversations with his team about Spotify not having Vultures, and it seems like they fixed things up quickly. It’s worth noting that this is an independent release, so sample clearance issues, a lack of a major label, and revisions probably influenced the chaotic nature of this drop.
What’s more is that we apparently have two more volumes of Vultures coming alter this year, plus a Kanye West solo album sometime in the near future. As such, we might get way more music from this collab that they teased but didn’t include on this first installment, such as “Everybody” and “River.” Of course, this also comes amid a lot of drama and backlash for his antisemitic double-downs and other controversial statements, which unfortunately are baked into the music. Those conversations will surely continue, but for now, folks are just dissecting the music.
In addition to all this, the 46-year-old also teased a Super Bowl commercial for Yeezy, but whether it airs this Sunday is anyone’s guess. We can’t imagine the conversation around this ad that higher-ups are having right now. But he’s here to stay, it seems, and what we’ll have to wait for is any retribution or true sign of change that would shift his art away from truly harmful implications. For more news and the latest updates on Kanye West, stay up to date on HNHH.
Amid complaints that Vultures 1 has not dropped on Spotify, Kanye West shared a snippet of a conversation about two of the album’s producers asking the same thing. The conversation between “Wayne Create” and Traxster. In the conversation, Wayne says that the album not being on Spotify could hurt the album’s chart position. However, Traxstar assured him that Spotify “always lagged behind” in terms of availability for immediate releases.
The rollout of the long-awaited album has been a lot and chaotic. The album was briefly remvoed from Apple Music for 20 minutes for an unknown reason. However, fans have already declared it to be one of Kanye’s best. It is expected that Kanye will release parts two and three of the album across the next two months.
Meanwhile, Rich the Kid has declared Kanye “the GOAT” during a sidewalk interview with Baller Alert. “He is the GOAT, no debate,” Rich said. It’s a fitting declaration as Rich recently collabed with Kanye and Playboi Carti for “Carnival”, which appears on the now-released Vultures I. “Carnival” also caused some pre-release controversy as Ozzy Osbourne claimed that the song contained an uncleared Black Sabbath sample.
Furthermore, the impromptu interview also saw Rich reveal that he is planning to drop a massive bet on the Super Bowl. Rich said he was going to place a $1 million bet on Sunday’s game. The Chiefs and 49ers face off in Vegas in a rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl. An estimated $23.1 billion has been bet on the matchup. That eclipses the estimated $16B put down on bets for last year’s game between the Chiefs and Eagles. However, Rich refused to say which team he was putting his money on. Born and raised in Queens, it’s hard to say which team Rich will be backing.
In the realm of tech entrepreneurs, Daniel Ek stands out as a beacon of success. As the co-founder and CEO of Spotify, Ek has navigated the ever-evolving landscape of digital media and streaming services, solidifying his position as one of the most influential figures in the industry. With his innovative mindset and relentless drive, Ek has amassed considerable wealth over the years, with Forbes estimating his net worth to be $4.1 billion in 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek makes an appearance during a keynote address by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Facebook f8 conference on September 22, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the conference introducing a Timeline feature to the popular social network. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Daniel Ek was born on February 21, 1983, in Stockholm, Sweden. From a young age, he displayed a keen interest in technology and entrepreneurship. Ek’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident even in his teenage years when he started several ventures, including a web-hosting business. Despite facing setbacks early on, Ek remained undeterred in his pursuit of success.
After completing his secondary education, Ek enrolled at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm but dropped out after just eight weeks. He realized that traditional education was not aligned with his aspirations, and he was eager to dive headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship.
Business & Tech Background
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Daniel Ek, Founder and CEO, Spotify speaks onstage at Spotify Press Announcement on May 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Spotify)
Ek’s foray into the tech industry began when he co-founded Advertigo, an online advertising company, at the age of 23. The venture proved to be successful, attracting the attention of major players in the industry. However, Ek had his sights set on larger endeavors, and in 2006, he sold Advertigo to Tradedoubler.
Following the sale of Advertigo, Ek delved deeper into the world of digital media and technology. He worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Stardoll, an online community for fashion enthusiasts, where he honed his skills in product development and management.
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 15: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spotify Daniel Ek speaks onstage during Spotify Investor Day at Spring Studios on March 15, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Spotify)
In 2006, Ek’s entrepreneurial journey reached new heights when he co-founded Spotify alongside Martin Lorentzon. The idea for Spotify stemmed from Ek’s frustration with the limitations of existing music streaming services. He envisioned a platform that would provide users with access to millions of songs at their fingertips, all while offering a seamless user experience.
Despite facing resistance from major record labels, Ek persevered, striking licensing deals that laid the foundation for Spotify’s success. Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has grown exponentially, becoming the leading music streaming service globally. Ek’s vision and leadership have been instrumental in shaping Spotify into the powerhouse it is today.
Other Ventures And Revenue Streams
CANNES, FRANCE – JUNE 22: Daniel Ek, founder and chief executive officer of Spotify, attends the Cannes Lions 2016 on June 22, 2016 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images)
While Spotify remains Ek’s primary focus, he has diversified his interests over the years, exploring new avenues for revenue generation. Ek has invested in various startups and tech companies, leveraging his expertise and resources to support budding entrepreneurs. Additionally, he has ventured into the world of podcasting, capitalizing on the growing demand for audio content. Furthermore, Ek has been actively involved in philanthropy, using his wealth and influence to drive positive change in society. He is a staunch advocate for education and entrepreneurship, believing in the power of innovation to transform lives.
Daniel Ek Net Worth 2024
In conclusion, Daniel Ek’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a billionaire tech mogul is a testament to his tenacity and vision. With Spotify continuing to dominate the music streaming industry and his ventures into other lucrative areas, Ek’s net worth is likely to soar even higher in the years to come. As he continues to push the boundaries of innovation, Daniel Ek’s impact on the tech world will undoubtedly be felt for generations to come.
As a full-circle moment, he will take the stage at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. It comes after he wrapped his residency in the city at the end of 2023 but is still set to headline the Lovers & Friends Festival there later this year. Those in other cities will also get to see him, with more tour dates available here.
Here’s what to know about when Usher’s new album will be available to stream on Spotify.
What Time Will Usher’s ‘Coming Home’ Be On Spotify?
Usher’s Coming Home is out on Spotify at 12 a.m. ET tonight, or, if you’re on the west coast, you can listen to the album at 9 p.m. PT. Any other time zones would be converted from those as measures.
The album will include a ton of collaborations, with the title track featuring Burna Boy, Summer Walker and 21 Savage on “Good Good,” H.E.R. on “Risk It All,” Jung Kook of BTS on the “Standing Next To You (Remix),” and more.
Coming Home is out 2/9 via Mega/Gamma. Find more information here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Best New Artist category at the Grammys each year is one of the most coveted trophy. It’s an artist’s first time being nominated for a Grammy. For many of them, it’s their first foray into the awards circuit, kicking off a whirlwind of press, events, and other industry recognition. For others, it’s an acknowledgment that their years of hard work have paid off. Many past winners were budding artists who quickly made their way into superstardom, like Adele, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish.
The 2024 Best New Artist nominees represent a wide assortment of genres, styles, and levels of fame. From a rapper being introduced as “the biggest artist in the world” (Ice Spice, of course), to an artist who beat the odds and has climbed the Country music charts (Jelly Roll), Spotify’s Best New Artist Party spotlighted the range of talent in this years’ Best New Artist category at the Grammys.
The event kicked off Grammy weekend by bringing each Best New Artist nominee to the stage (with the notable absence of Fred Again..) to give a taste of their catalog with a handful of songs. The husband and wife folk duo The War And Treaty were the first to take the stage, setting the tone for the remainder of the evening with stunning, soulful songs and messages of love and unity. The duo wasn’t the only Nashville-based artist represented on the stage. Rising country star Jelly Roll made it clear he’s come a long way since selling mixtapes from the trunk of his car. With his earnest charisma and confessional ballads that speak to addiction and finding faith, the musician had the crowd singing along to songs like “Need A Favor” and “Son Of A Sinner.” He even brought out fellow country singer Lainey Wilson, who, adorned in a cowboy hat and classic Western get-up, delivered their joint track” “Save Me.”
Getty Image / Getty For Spotify
Confessional music seemed to be the unofficial theme of the night as folk favorite Noah Kahan took the stage to the delight of many screaming fans in the audience. The Vermont-based singer whose 2022 album Stick Season catapulted him into fame showcased a few of his cutting ballads like “Dial Drunk,” which he clearly had a blast performing despite the somber subject matter. Kahan also brought out fellow Best New Artist nominee Gracie Abrams, who had taken the stage just before him, for a rendition of their recent collab “Everywhere, Everything.”
Other musicians like Victoria Monét and Coco Jones proved they were made to live in the limelight with their expertly choreographed sets. Jones, who has found success on the Disney-Channel-star-to-Grammy-nominee-pipeline showed off her impressive vocals with a swooning performance of “ICU” and “Double Back.” Monét gave perhaps the most energetic set of the night, managing to land challenging dance moves while putting her entire heart into a sultry rendition of “Jaguar” and the Grammy-nominated “On My Mama.” (She would go on to win the award for Best New Artist at the Grammy’s ceremony.)
Getty Image / Getty for Spotify
Ice Spice was perhaps the most-anticipated (and as it turned out, the shortest) set of the night, according to the snippets of conversations I picked up on in the crowd. The rapper, who has received cosigns from everyone from Taylor Swift to Nicki Minaj, took the stage with her usual swagger. Nearly everyone’s phone was up as she delivered her most recent track “Think U The Sh*t (Fart)” and TikTok hit “Deli” before thanking everyone for their support and sauntering off the stage.
Whether they were nominated for just one category or, like Monét, one of the most-nominated artists at the 2024 Grammys, each artist was beyond grateful to be a part of the lineup. Kahan thanked the audience and the Recording Academy for his recognition, while also joking he’s still waiting to hear back from the Kids’ Choice Awards: “I’m still waiting to get slimed.” Similarly, Abrams noted how much she idolizes everyone she shared the stage with. Jelly Roll was also honored to be a part of the lineup, but for different reasons. Straight from Nashville, Jelly Roll noted the difference between his humble Nashville beginnings and the ritzy Los Angeles industry event. “I’m surprised y’all are rocking with me,” he said to the crowd, many of whom knew every word to his songs.
Win or lose, being nominated for Best New Artist is an honor in of itself. But whoever wins, Spotify’s Best New Artist Party showed that any of the ten deserve the trophy.
In advance of the Grammys this weekend, Spotify hosted a party centered around some of the biggest breakthrough artists in the past year of music. Almost all of the nominees, with the exception of UK garage DJ Fred Again, showed up for the party. That included numerous performances of the breakthrough hits from the Best New Artist Nominees. Ice Spice unpacked her newest single “Think U The Sh*t” to the adoration of the crowd. Country star Jelly Roll was joined by Lainey Wilson for their duet “Save Me,” while Victoria Monet and Noah Kahan both also performed their breakthrough songs.
Coco Jones was also in attendance at the party. Her track “ICU” broke through last year to the tune of 41 million streams on Spotify. The song spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 eventually peaking at number 62. But much of the attention from fans was on the outfit she chose to wear. The fit paired a black last top with a quilt patterned skirt. Fans quickly identified the look as coming from the Moschino Spring-Summer 2024 runway show. Despite that, plenty of fans had backlash to direct at the outfit. Check out the look and some of the jokes made about it below.
“Not during black history month??????” one of the top replies to the post reads. “Fire the stylist” another even more direct comment suggests. Even some of the fans who knew the origin of the look weren’t impressed. “I know it’s Moschino, but it gives ‘Everything from IG’” another comment reads.
In the wake of the success of “ICU” Coco recruited an impressive feature for a remix. That was Justin Timberlake, who teamed up for a new version of the track well before starting his new comeback era earlier this year. What do you think of Coco Jones’ Moschino look at the Spotify Best New Artist party? Let us know in the comment section below.
