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Drake Pushes Spotify To Pay Artists “Bonuses”: “Send Me A Lebron Sized Cheque”

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This week, Drizzy became the first artist to surpass 75 billion streams on Spotify. It’s another major feat for an artist who basically broke every other streaming and sales record imaginable. However, Drake isn’t necessarily keen on celebrating the win with another plaque. 

Just as athletes get bonuses, Drake would like artists to receive similar compensation from streaming services. The Canadian rapper stated artists should receive compensation, especially as they generate significant revenue for DSPs. He explained that financial compensation would ultimately motivate artists to deliver quality music.

“We should get bonuses like athletes to motivate the future artists to be consistent and competitive,” he wrote. In this case, Drake would certainly be getting bigger payouts from the labels. “So feel free to send me a Lebron sized cheque I have enough dinner plates,” he added with a laughing emoji and a heart.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 04: Drake attends the “Top Boy” UK Premiere at Hackney Picturehouse on September 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Drake’s suggestion comes at an interesting time when major labels and streaming services want to shake the algorithm. Universal Music Group and major streaming services are in talks to develop a new model that would pay artists better. According to the Financial Times, UMG’s in talks with the major streaming platforms, including Spotify and TIDAL, to develop a plan to combat the growing number of bots and 31-second clips that qualify as a stream. 

“You have a quantity over quality challenge right now,” said Michael Nash, Universal Music’s chief digital officer. Spotify currently sees 100,000 new songs uploaded to their platform daily.  “That’s making it harder for new artists to establish themselves, for new releases to come through.”

Of course, Drake doesn’t necessarily suffer from these issues as much as new and independent artists. Drizzy’s latest project, Her Loss, alongside 21 Savage reached one billion streams just after Christmas day – less than two months after its release. In 2021, he earned 500 million Spotify streams alone. Certified Lover Boy also broke the single-day streaming record on the service. 

Check out Drake’s Instagram post below and let us know your thought in the comments.

Via Drake Instagram
Via Drake Instagram

[Via]

Spotify Is The Latest Big Company To Announce Significant Layoffs And Some Executives Are Getting Shuffled Around, Too

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Spotify logo
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The feel-good of “Spotify Wrapped” was left in 2022. Spotify announced today, January 23, that it is “reducing our employee base by about 6% across the company” through an open letter from CEO Daniel Ek posted here. It’s brutal, but at least Spotify didn’t compound the salt in the layoff wound by hosting a private Sting performance like Microsoft reportedly did.

The lengthy note from Ek additionally announced that Chief Content & Advertising Business Officer Dawn Ostroff “has decided to depart Spotify,” while Chief Product Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Freemium Business Officer Alex Norström will be leading their respective teams “as co-presidents, effectively helping me run the company day-to-day.”

“In the near term, Dawn will assume the role of senior advisor to help facilitate this transition,” Ek wrote. “Alex will take on the responsibility for the content, advertising and licensing work going forward and you’ll hear more from him on that.”

Ek explained that the approximately six percent cut in workforce is due to him being “too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth” and because he had “hoped to sustain the strong tailwinds from the pandemic and believed that our broad global business and lower risk to the impact of a slowdown in ads would insulate us.”

Beyond Spotify and Microsoft, big companies like Amazon, Google parent company Alphabet, and Salesforce have also recently announced layoffs.

See some of the reactions to the news below.

The Weeknd Sets A New Spotify Streaming Record, Thanks To His Monthly Listener Count

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The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour 2022
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The Weeknd continues his record-breaking streak on Spotify with his latest distinction. The Canadian crooner has become the first artist to cross 96 million listeners on Spotify, breaking his own record from a few weeks prior. Earlier this month, the “Heartless” hitmaker reached 94.73 million listeners across the streaming platform.

“.@TheWeeknd becomes the first artist in history to cross 96 million monthly listeners on @Spotify,” Pop Crave tweeted on Saturday (January 21).

But these stats shouldn’t be surprising. The “Blinding Lights” singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has become a commercial juggernaut over the past few years. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including four Grammy awards and a slew of other awards.

He’s the voice behind chart-topping hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” from his second studio album, 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, which catapulted him into fame. The musician went on to release three more hit albums after that, including Starboy (2016), After Hours (2020), and, more recently, Dawn FM (2022).

The singer has been quite busy these days — from earning an Academy Award nomination for his song “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” which was used as the theme for Avatar: The Way Of Water, and staying atop the Billboard charts to breaking Spotify records, and now, possibly releasing new music.

In a recent interview, Weeknd revealed that he has been in the studio and begun working on new music.

“I’ve definitely been inspired,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve been in the studio.”

DJ Dahi Slams Kendrick Lamar Leakers

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One of Kendrick Lamar’s most frequent collaborators, DJ Dahi, recently slammed leakers who put some of his demos on Spotify. The “Morale Pack,” as it’s titled on the platform, is a set of three new leaks from the Compton MC. Moreover, many thought that they were leftovers from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. However, the legendary producer set some things straight on his Instagram story.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day thre of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

““Why are y’all leaking s**t from 4 years ago???” he wrote on Thursday (January 19). “We didn’t even bounce those records out. These kdot records are strictly demos. Y’all are really dying of thirst out here lol.” Maybe they should ask Kendrick to sing about them.

Jokes aside, leak culture caused a lot of discourse in the 2010s, and continues to hamper projects and releases today. Readers may remember the highly-anticipated state of Whole Lotta Red, when many of Playboi Carti’s songs leaked before he could drop the album. However, this is a pretty different case, as the leaked material is about four years old according to Dahi.

Still, for being four-year-old leaks, these new Kendrick tracks aren’t half bad. Moreover, they contain some interesting overlap with a few Mr. Morale cuts. When it comes to flows, certain lyrics and verses, themes, instrumental choices, and delivery, it appears to be in a similar headspace. In fact, completed tracks like “Purple Hearts,” “Silent Hill,” “Count Me Out,” and Baby Keem’s “vent” are the end results of many of these leaks’ ideas.

Even then, that’s just a theory or small observation, because who knows what else Dahi and Kendrick have in the vault. Mr. Morale was Spotify’s most successful rap album of 2022, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more great material from these sessions. Despite our highest hopes, K-Dot is likely in another phase of his legendary career, but here’s hoping for some more untitled unmastered. tracks in the future.

Regardless, what do you think of DJ Dahi cracking down on leakers who put unreleased Kendrick tracks on Spotify? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest news regarding hip-hop’s greatest talents.

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Kendrick Lamar “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” Leaks Surface On Spotify

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One of 2022’s best albums is still giving us great new songs to bump… kind of. New Kendrick Lamar leaks, seemingly recorded during the making of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, surfaced on Spotify. Moreover, they appeared in a playlist titled “Morale Pack” from user Marozy. Previously, the user leaked versions of Kanye West’s “City in the Sky” and “Mr. Miyagi.”

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day three of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

Surprisingly, those songs are still available on Spotify, and time will tell if the Kendrick leaks stay as well. Furthermore, the three new tracks are titled “Pure,” “Make Me Happy,” and “Computer Love,” respectively. Given similar lyrical references, flows, and themes, these songs sound like they came out of Mr. Morale’s headspace. What’s more is that Baby Keem’s influence is also pretty apparent in these cuts.

Moreover, Keem’s track “vent” originally leaked with a more developed Kendrick verse, which appears in part on “Pure” and on “cocoa.” Also, the new leak was reportedly produced by Pharrell.

Meanwhile, “Make Me Happy” features some lines from “Purple Hearts,” like “Crown on Bob Marley, wrist on Yo Gotti.” Interestingly, “Computer Love” features a lustful refrain and an old-school beat courtesy of the sample, a 1986 Zapp track of the same name. Even though the “HUMBLE.” star’s fifth LP set a high bar, these leaks step up to that caliber.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sent shockwaves through the game in more ways than one, being Spotify’s most popular rap album of 2022. In addition to the heap of critical acclaim the album’s already amassed, the Grammys nominated it for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album this year. As such, it’s no surprise that its leaks are still pretty good tracks. Much like To Pimp A Butterfly and the following untitled unmastered. demos, maybe we’ll soon see a collection of B-sides from the Compton MC.

Regardless, what did you think of Kendrick Lamar’s leaks on Spotify? Are you still hungry for more from the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sessions? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, check back in with HNHH for the week’s new releases.

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The Weeknd Continues His Record-Breaking Streak, As He Now Has The Most Monthly Listeners On Spotify

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the weeknd 2021 iHeart Awards
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The Weeknd keeps breaking record after record. Earlier this month, it was revealed that his hit single “Blinding Lights” was Spotify’s most streamed single of all time. Now, The Weeknd has broken Spotify’s record for most monthly listeners in the world.

As of now, The Weeknd currently has over 94.73 million listeners, a stat that was shared by PopCrave and retweeted by The Weeknd himself.

It’s no surprise that The Weeknd has raked in so many streams. Over the past decade, he has supplied us with several hits.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Weeknd explained how a lot of his songs came together.

One of his breakthrough hits was “Earned It” from the motion picture soundtrack to 2015’s Fifty Shades Of Grey.

“The song in the film for Fifty Shades of Grey is just so sexy and sexual,” he said. “Working on this song was fun as well, but that felt a little bit more fun and loose, while [‘Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)’] felt a little bit more scientific.”

“Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” is the theme for the 2022 film Avatar: The Way Of Water and was recently revealed to be on the shortlist for potential 2023 Academy Awards nominations.

“I feel honored to be part of that list,” he said. “Any kind of recognition for it feels like a blessing.”

Nicki Minaj Becomes The First Female Rapper To Surpass 28 Billion Streams On Spotify

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Almost two decades into her career, Nicki Minaj has solidified her position as an icon in the rap game. The New York rhymer, who recently turned 40, continues to break records despite some controversies that have followed her over the years. Recently, Minaj hit a major milestone for female rappers on Spotify, surpassing over 28 Billion streams.

“@NICKIMINAJ has now surpassed 28 billion streams on Spotify across all credits. She’s the first female rapper to hit this milestone,” Chart Data reported.

The “Do We Got Have A Problem” rapper has been breaking many records lately. Last week, Minaj eclipsed Missy Elliot as the the longest-charting female rapper on Billboard’s Hot 100 because of her No.1 hit “Super Freaky Girl,” which charted again on the week of January 5, earning the hit a 20-week total.

However, despite the track’s success, Minaj was snubbed from the Grammy nominations this year. Minaj revealed that the song had been moved over to the pop category. Enraged by the Recording Academy’s decision, the rapper demanded that if she had to be put in the category, so should Latto for her big hit” Big Energy,” leading to a nasty online spat between the two.

In other music news, this past November, Minaj recently teamed up with Reggaeton artists Maluma and Myriam Fares for a new collaboration titled “Tukoh Taka.” The track served as the Official FIFA Fan Festival Anthem for 2022.

Some other artists mentioned are from Warner Music. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

GloRilla, Babyface Ray, Ice Spice, Central Cee, & More Named to Spotify’s Most Necessary 2023 Hip-Hop Artists to Watch

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2023 Artists to Watch Group Asset

Spotify has launched its annual “Artist To Watch” campaign, highlighting the artists that will make a splash in 2023.

First off, Spotify’s playlist for the upcoming hip-hop voices, Most Necessary, is revealing the list of up-and-coming artists that are poised to have an impact on hip-hop culture and leave their stamp on the music business.

The Most Necessary playlist is a subset of RapCaviar, the largest and most popular hip-hop playlist in the world and one of Spotify’s flagship playlists. If you have yet to tune into the elite playlist, it is one of the best sources for the singles and artists that you should have your ears focused on. Go grab that here.

Included in the 2023 Most Necessary Artist to Watch are:

GloRilla

GloRilla Artists to Watch Social Asset

Finesse2tymes

Finesse2Tymes Artists to Watch Social Asset

SleazyWorld Go

SleazyWorld Go Artists to Watch Social Asset

Central Cee

Central Cee Artists to Watch Social Asset

Destroy Lonely

Destroy Lonely Artists to Watch Social Asset

Ice Spice

Ice Spice Artists to Watch Social Asset

Babyface Ray

Babyface Ray Artists to Watch Social Asset

Saucy Santana

Saucy Santana Artists to Watch Social Asset

2Rare

2Rare Artists to Watch Social Asset

Real Boston Richey

Real Boston Richey Artists to Watch Social Asset

You can hear all these stars and more on the Most Necessary playlist available here.

The post GloRilla, Babyface Ray, Ice Spice, Central Cee, & More Named to Spotify’s Most Necessary 2023 Hip-Hop Artists to Watch appeared first on The Source.