Tech

Major Music Publishers Sue Twitter for $250 million in “Massive Copyright Infringement” Case

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Major Music Publishers Sue Twitter for $250 million in “Massive Copyright Infringement” Case

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, the platform has become known as somewhat of a lawless place with the loosening or removal of many prior restrictions on content and speech. However, the law has seemingly caught up to the lawless platform.

On Wednesday, Universal, Sony, Warner, and 14 smaller publishers filed a lawsuit against Twitter for at least $250 million over the alleged infringement of approximately 1,700 works. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter had been sent hundreds of thousands of takedown notices, most all of which were ignored. Twitter has also ignored requests to obtain the proper licenses for music and other forms of copyrighted intellectual property.

The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Tennessee, alleges that Twitter “consistently and knowingly hosts and streams infringing copies of music compositions” in an effort to “retain account holders and viewers” and “grow the body of engaging tweets” and ultimately, “fuel its business.”

Twitter is currently the only major social media platform that does not have some sort of music licensing agreement in place. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok all have entered into agreements with publishers that allow the platforms to legally host music, videos, and other copyrighted content. In return, the agreements specify that the platforms compensate the creators and/or publishers for use of their content. (Before Musk took over Twitter, several major publishers had been in talks with former CEO Jack Dorsey to set up a similar agreement in 2021).

According to Yahoo, in December 2021, the National Music Publishers’ Association, acting on behalf of the publishers, began sending formal infringement notices to Twitter on a weekly basis, according to the complaint. The company was notified of over 300,000 infringing tweets. The lawsuit alleges that most tweets were not removed and the accounts of repeat offenders were not penalized in any way. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter basically encouraged this type of activity by taking no action against offenders.

Previously, Elon Musk had tweeted that “current copyright law in general goes absurdly far beyond protecting the original creator,” suggesting that certain aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) may go too far in overstepping its boundaries on social media.

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Meek Mill Praises Elon Musk’s Newest Idea For Twitter

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Meek Mill expressed his excitement about Elon Musk’s latest idea for Twitter on the social media platform, Friday. Musk had posted about paying creators for advertisements ran in the replies to their posts. In response, Meek suggested he might be done with Instagram for good.

“In a few weeks, X/Twitter will start paying creators for ads served in their replies. First block payment totals $5M,” Musk wrote. “Note, the creator must be verified and only ads served to verified users count.” Meek quote-tweeted the post with the caption: “I’m about to cut instagram fully off! Lol.”

Read More: Cardi B’s Thirsty Tweet About Janelle Monáe’s NSFW Video Causes Shadow Ban, She Asks Elon Musk For Help

Meek Mill In Concert

MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 30: Meek Mill performs onstage during the EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest)

Despite the recent praise, Meek hasn’t always spoken favorably of Twitter. Back in December 2022, he condemned the site in a different post. “Ima deactivate Twitter forever and go to a new social where it’s more good vibes based off building, creating and motivation,” he wrote at the time. “Whoever run my shit turn this off forever … ima takeover my YouTube account to replace me interacting with supports! Too many bots and weird people.”

Meek has also attempted to get into business with Musk on Twitter. After Musk purchased the platform, Meek wrote on the site: “Elon musk let us invest in Twitter with you ‘big homie.’” Musk didn’t respond to the post. Check out Meek’s latest attempt at interacting with the billionaire on Twitter below.

Meek Mill Praises Elon Musk

Outside of social media, Meek Mill recently traveled to Georgia to perform at Rick Ross’ car show. He, along with Tyler, the Creator, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and more celebrities were in attendance. Meek also celebrated his 36th birthday on a private jet back in May.

Read More: Meek Mill Asks His “Big Homie” Elon Musk For A Favor After Twitter Acquisition

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Moriah Mills Gets Massive Pornhub Search Spike After Zion Williamson Drama

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Earlier this week, porn star Moriah Mills made some scandalous allegations about New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. After Williamson posted photos from a gender reveal party with Akheema, Mills took to Twitter to spill the tea. Mills claimed that she and Williamson have been an item for some time, hooking up as recently as last week. Furthermore, Mills claimed that Williamson is paying for her to move to New Orleans. Williamson has not responded to any of the allegations that have come out this week.

It wasn’t the end of Williamson’s problems, however. A microblading artist named Yami Taylor also came forward with claims that Williamson had recently slept with her. Furthermore, Taylor included an image that appeared to be of Williamson asleep in bed. It’s been a truly wild week to exist in NBA circles. However, it’s turning into something of a lucrative opportunity for Mills.

Mills Breaks Into Top-100 On Pornhub

Moriah Mills has worked in the porn industry since at least 2017. Her collaborations include big-name studios such as Reality Kings, Brazzers, and Jules Jordan. However, the link to Zion Williamson has sent her numbers into the stratosphere. According to a report from TMZ, June 7 saw a 2293% increase in searches for Mills on Pornhub. Furthermore, at the time of writing, she is #91 on Pornhub’s pornstar ranking and #30 this week. By comparison, her peak in May was at #173. Additionally, Mills is currently the #3 trending pornstar within Pornhub’s search function.

Furthermore, according to the Pornhub representative who spoke with TMZ, the demographics who have been searching for Mills skew more female than male. Additionally, Mills is continuing to milk the increased attention for every drop. After posting a green dress thrist trap on TikTok, Mills reshared it to Twitter with the caption “His number 1 draft pick.” Mills’ numbers will likely continue to rise over the coming days and now it’s just a question of how far she’ll rise before interest eventually drops off. This is a developing story and we’ll have all the latest updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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Lionel Messi Move Causes LeBron James Meme To Trend

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On June 7, Lionel Messi announced that he would be signing with the MLS’ Inter Miami. It came as a shock to many pundits, many of whom expected Messi to sign with Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia or Barcelona of Spain. “I have made the decision that I am going to Miami. I still don’t have it agreed upon 100 percent and a few things are needed, but, well, we decided to continue my path there,” Messi said. “After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more. Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way.”

Messi immediately becomes the biggest signing in the history of the MLS. Furthermore, Messi could make his debut as soon as next month, as his contract with PSG expires at the end of June. However, it’s unclear how much an impact of Messi will have. Inter Miami are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference. At the time of writing, Inter Miami has 15 points from 16 games. Furthermore, they are on a five-game losing streak.

Messi News Leads To A LeBron Meme

As the news broke, non-soccer fans took to Twitter to look for an explanation for the wider implications and context. Many of the people asking were NBA fans, likely unaware of the stature of the MLS. This led to one phrase being repeated over and over – “Lebron James joining the Shanghai Sharks.”

The Chinese Basketball Association has developed some truly great talent such as Yao Ming. However, in comparison to the NBA, it’s a very fair comparison to the Messi-Inter Milan move. While both Messi and LeBron are getting on in years, they are both still elite athletes. However, the choice for Messi to head to the US truly indicates that his career is winding down. For what it’s worth, there are currently three American players on the roster. The most notable of these three is Eric Bledsoe, who was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team in 2019. But it’s nice to see some inter-sport cooperation amongst fans.

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Kai Cenat Thirsts For Latto’s Sister Before Finding Out She’s With Ja Morant

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For once, let’s not talk about Ja Morant’s ongoing suspension from the NBA. Instead, let’s talk about his love life. In 2017, Morant met KK Dixon while he was a freshman at Murray State. Announcing their relationship in 2018, the couple had a daughter in 2019. Kaari has since become a regular fixture at FedExForum after Murray was drafted in 2019. However, it remains to be seen if Murray will remain a regular fixture in Memphis. Everyone is expecting a heavy suspension to be handed down to Morant after he flashed a gun on Instagram Live last month.

However, Morant and Dixon amicably split in early 2023. Despite this, they appear to be co-parenting Kaari. Instead, Morant has been linked with influencer Brooklyn Nikole since March 2023. The pair were spotted in late 2022 and people took posts from Nikole in March to indicate that they were dating. Aside from her 400,000 Instagram followers, Nikole is also the older sister of Latto.

Kai Cenat Backtracks On Brooklyn Nikole

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

In a recent stream, Kai Cenat pulled up Nikole’s Instagram. As Cenat looked respectfully, his Twitch chat began to grow frantic. After Cenat finally noticed, he began to yell “Ja? Ja Who?” as chat tried to warn him that Nikole was linked to Morant. After finally spotting Morant, along with claims that Morant would shoot up him for sliding Nikole, Cenat completely backtracked. Previously, the streamer has gotten flirty with GloRilla and gotten a little risque with Nicki Minaj. Earlier this year, Cenat became the most subbed streamer on Twitch.

However, it appears that Centa’s chat is working with some outdated information. As recently as May 20, it was alleged that Morant and Nikole have split up as a result of Morant’s latest controversies. Little was known about their relationship but Nikole appeared to call it quits with an Instagram post with the caption “that’s a wrap”. Regardless, it remains a very funny moment for the vastly-popular streamer. Follow all the latest sports news and viral moments here on HotNewHipHop.

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BlueFace Tells Women They Should Expect To Be Cheated On

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BlueFace has been getting a lot of attention recently, and very little of it is positive. The saga featuring him and Chrisean Rock continues. Most recently, BlueFace took Jayden Alexis on a date and told her she could look after his and Rock’s baby. Then there was the viral clip of him harassing a woman at a nightclub. Furthermore, his mom is trying to start beef with Erykah Badu. Just a lot of things going on that aren’t music for the rapper.

Seemingly not tired of the attention, BlueFace took to Twitter to deal out some “relationship advice”. More specifically, BlueFace “warned” women that they should expect to be cheated on because Beyoncé was cheated on. Truly a relationship guru at work. The tweets were bizarre, misguided, and just straight-up cringe. At the very least, Twitter is having fun roasting him for it.

BlueFace’s Bizzare Tweets

Blueface sounded off with a series of tweets on June 3. “If Beyoncé got cheated on bih you getting cheated on sY you ain’t even got half to offer bih,” read the first tweet. “I’m speaking to all women be fr,” came the follow-up. “Ain’t no female better then Beyoncé an ain’t no N-gga richer then jayZ you get the point,” BlueFace added. “The truth could never be a diss,” the rapper concluded. Earlier in the day, BlueFace retweeted a tweet from Jaidyn Alexis that read “addicted to dick I got add….😟.”

The tweets were neither well-received nor factually accurate. Jay-Z is by no means the richest Black billionaire, domestically or abroad. Domestically, the richest Black billionaire is Robert Smith. Meanwhile, the world’s richest Black billionaire is Nigerian cement magnate Aliko Dangote. As for the reception, there were a handful of “alpha male” simps who praised BlueFace for speaking the “truth”. However, a majority of the people responding to his tweets just saw them as cringey and embarrassing. It’s probably worth ignoring this advice and instead trusting your partner. Follow all the latest music news here at HotNewHipHop.

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GloRilla Claims Nicki Minaj Tweet Was Due To Hacked Account

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More than a few eyebrows were raised following a tweet from GloRilla’s account. “Nicki loves me and I love her too.. She does talk too much though,” the tweet was concluded with the thinking face emoji. It came a few hours after GloRilla supported Cardi B for her Latto collab. “If cardi don’t do shit else she gone slide on a mf beat 😂😂🔥🔥🔥 go cousinnnnn @iamcardib.” The tweet has since been deleted from Glorilla’s tweet.

There is no known beef between GloRilla and Nicki. In fact, last year, GloRilla called Nicki an inspiration during a 2022 interview. However, people took GloRilla’s tweet as a direct response to a Nicki tweet from earlier in the day. “🤣😂🥴😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣😂Lookin for the hoochie daddies…,” Minaj tweeted early on June 2.

GloRilla Claims Hack

“Dem bitches can’t keep a real bitch hacked for too long !!!! Im back bitches 👅👅👅go stream lick or sum,” GloRilla tweeted late on June 2. “I was hacked,” is a common excuse for Twitter slips. However, people are on her side in this case. “That wasn’t her, it’s too much punctuation,” one commentator argued. “Y’all really think this young chick from Memphis give AF bout nicki lmaooooooo,” add another. Furthermore, some questioned the target of the tweet, “i know she was hacked but i wonder why they went after Nicki out of everybody?” questioned one observer.

However, not everyone is convinced. “This was a PR Stunt to attach her algorithm to Nicki the new ones do this constantly now she gonna have blog interviews asking her about it using Nicki and her name in the title it’s a common digital marketing strategy labels use,” one person argued. There is merit to this argument, given that Minaj is deep in promotion for “Pound Town 2”. “Isn’t it funny that these “rappers” always get hacked around the time they have new music coming .. anyway she’ll never be ice spice and that’s the underlying issue with being attention hungry,” another added. Follow the latest music news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Diddy Sues Diageo for Shunning His DeLeón Tequila Brand

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Diddy Partners with DJ Khaled to Announce New 'Diddy Direct' Platform

Diddy and his Combs Wines and Spirits LLC are taking Diageo to court, citing the spirits company has neglected his DeLeón tequila brand, a joint venture between the two. According to The Wall Street Journal, Diageo has directed its attention to two other tequila brands, one of which is the George Clooney-led Casamigos.

Included in the suit, Diddy notes Diageo exhibits racial discrimination by placing DeLeón in the “urban” category and also referring to the tequila as a “Black brand.”

In response, Diageo has disputed the allegations. A spokesperson highlighted the matter as “a business dispute,” and they are saddened “that Mr. Combs has chosen to recast this matter as anything other than that.”

READ MORE: Diddy Partners with DJ Khaled to Announce New ‘Diddy Direct’ Platform

According to court filings, Diddy and his company are seeking Diageo to comply with the terms of their 2013 joint agreement and additional statements to develop written agreements on further business.

The court docs also highlight a history of Diddy having complaints to Diageo, including out-of-stock products, limited distribution, and botched redesign. Additionally, in 2010 and 2021, Diageo allegedly did not provide agave to DeLeón during a shortage of the ingredient.

The DeLeón relationship flourished after the success of Diddy and Ciroc. The brand was purchased when it was little known, but Diageo already had Don Julio and would eventually add in Casamigos. All the while, the popularity of tequila skyrocketed in the American market, reaching over $11 billion in sales in 2022. Casamigos controls the market share for tequila purchases at a segment-leading 12%. Diddy’s DeLeón comes in at 28th, just .4% of all sales. Furthermore, DeLeón was only available in 3.3% of outlets as Don Julio was 36% and Casamigos was 34.4%.

“For more than 15 years, we’ve had a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Mr. Combs on various business ventures, making significant investments that have resulted in financial success for all involved,” the Diageo spokeswoman said to the WSJ. “We are disappointed our efforts to resolve this business dispute amicably have been ignored, and that Mr. Combs has chosen to damage a productive and valued partnership.”

Last week, Diddy unveiled Diddy Direct, a groundbreaking platform designed to assist retailers and consumers in easily discovering, inquiring about, and purchasing any of the popular spirits from his Combs Spirits portfolio. This includes the entire range of CÎROC Vodkas, CÎROC Spritz, CÎROC VS, and DeLeón Tequila variants. With the recent introduction of the limited edition Cîroc Honey Melon, Diddy Direct provides a convenient way for consumers to locate and buy these products.

READ MORE: Diddy and Singer/Songwriter Jozzy Debut First EP on Love Records

To launch Diddy Direct, Diddy has partnered with DJ Khaled in a digital ad campaign. In a humorous golf-themed short film, the two celebrities showcase their friendship, with Khaled demonstrating his superior golf skills. The campaign debuts on social media today and will be rolled out across various platforms.

“This platform is a game-changer for the spirits industry, and we’re proud to offer consumers and retailers direct access to our portfolio of premium spirits,” said Diddy. “With Diddy Direct, we’re setting a new standard for direct to retailer & direct-to-consumer experiences and bringing the best of Combs Spirits directly to anyone, anywhere in the country.” 

Diddy Direct is a platform providing valuable information to consumers and retailers regarding the availability and locations of their preferred Combs Spirits products across the United States. The platform features a user-friendly interface with search functionality based on location and specific products. It also incorporates an interactive national map, allowing users to locate local businesses and distributors easily. By verifying their age, users can navigate the site effortlessly and swiftly find the desired products, along with detailed information on where and how to obtain them anywhere in the country.

You can learn more about Diddy Direct here.

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50 Cent’s $1.5 Million “Jet Car” Will Have You Begging For The Future

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50 Cent is one of hip-hop’s biggest car aficionados, lending a lot of gorgeous and powerful vehicles to DJ Envy’s upcoming car show- which is in savage and beef-heavy competition with Rick Ross’ own event. However, his latest alleged purchase might just top the rest. Moreover, SuperCarBlondie reported that Fif bought the White Lightning Jet Car for a staggering $1.5 million, and the hefty price tag isn’t just for show. In fact, the Parker Brothers designed the whip with inspiration from Formula 1 and built it from scratch. According to reports, it can reach up to more than 400 horsepower and ride at 250mph on the streets.

Considering the G-Unit mogul’s insane portfolio, it’s crazy to think that this is just a hobby for him at this point, albeit a passionate one. Apparently, he actually brought things down a notch when it comes to his crazy purchases. “The stuff that they see that I’ve learned, it kinda kept me out of trouble at points,” 50 Cent told Ari Melber. “The stuff I was saying in the music in the very beginning, I was crazy to tell you the truth, Ari. I was absolutely crazy at that point.”

Read More: 50 Cent: The Media Mogul

50 Cent’s New “Jet Car”

In addition to his musical ventures, entertainment empire, and social media presence, 50 Cent is also looking forward to his upcoming tour. However, during a recent Instagram Live session with fans, he suggested that “The Final Lap” might be a literal title for his tour after all. While it will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, it seems like it will be his farewell trek. Still, the Queens legend said he sold 500,000 tickets in seven days, so in any case, it’ll be a successful and fulfilling last ride.

“Because ticket sales are doing so well, they’re adding new markets,” he told fans. “So the U.K., North America and possibly Australia will be in there. I gotta get to Africa, I got a lot of spots I gotta hit before I be done, because this is the Final Lap Tour. I won’t be running around like this no more, I gotta do my film and television stuff. Got a lot of other things going on behind the scenes that I gotta work on, so I won’t be out touring as much as I’ve been touring. I’m having fun this time because it’s set up to enjoy myself, we not feeling pressure.” For the latest news and updates on 50 Cent, stick around on HNHH.

Read More: How 50 Cent’s “Get Rich Or Die Tryin” Defined An Era Of Hip Hop

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A.I. Shows What Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj & More Would Look Like When Older

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Artificial intelligence in music provoked a lot of discussion, condemnation, but also celebration among the industry. Whether it was fake tracks with other rappers’ voices, AI-generated lyrics, or covers of famous songs by deceased legends, it took the world by storm in these past few months. However, let’s not forget that AI started making waves in the visual medium before it hit our ears. Moreover, now we have a bit of a combination of those two enterprises to once again bring hip-hop fans a curious thought experiment. Have you ever wondered what Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and many more would look like when they’re much, much older?

Well, now we might know, as AI artist David Zinyama uploaded various rappers aging (with help from the tech algorithm) on Tuesday (May 23). Other figures he used artificial intelligence to age include Beyoncé, Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, J. Cole, and Usher. Presumably, the program generated the renditions based on one or various pictures of them and predicted what the change would look like in an unspecified amount of years. Furthermore, most are hard to believe, a few are pretty spot-on, but all of them are very uncanny. Also, some commenters pointed out that they look more like other people than they do themselves.

Read More: Frank Ocean A.I. Tracks Net Scammer Thousands In Sales

How Will Your Favorite Rappers Age? AI Has A Guess

Still, this wave of debate around AI in art, when compared to that of AI in music, is a different but no less worrisome beast. For example, Will.i.am warned Sirius XM during an interview that these advancements go far beyond just music or art, and that steps must be taken to ensure people’s private rights to their image and voice are preserved. “We all have voices, and everyone’s compromised because there are no rights or ownership to your facial math or your voice frequency,” he stated. “So, forget songs. Banks. People calling up your bank pretending to be you. Forget songs. Just family matters and wiring money. You’re getting a FaceTime or a Zoom call and because there’s no intelligence on the call, there’s nothing to authenticate AI call or a person call.

“That’s the urgent thing, protecting our facial math,” he continued, “I am my face math, I don’t own that. I own the rights to ‘I Gotta Feeling’, I own the rights to the songs I wrote, but I don’t own the rights to my face or my voice? There’s new laws and new industries about to boof. This time next year you’ll be like, ‘Will.i.am said that on that radio station.’ Fact is, these are all new parameters that we’re all trying to navigate around because the technology is that amazing and with amazingness comes regulations and governance that we have yet to implement.” Let us know what you think of these renditions and the role of AI in art in the comments down below. In addition, come back to HNHH for the latest bizarre offerings and crossovers in the AI and music world.

Read More: Jay-Z A.I. Verse Scares Hip-Hop World

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