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Swizz Beatz Responds to Backlash From Controversial ‘Verzuz’ Deal With Elon Musk’s ‘X’ Platform

June 22, 2024 by newhiphopnews

ICYMI, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland recently announced a new partnership between their music battle platform, Verzuz, and Elon Musk’s social media app, X, which has sparked backlash. Addressing the critiques, Swizz Beatz emphasized his positive intentions.

“LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE,” read a joint statement on Swizz and Timbaland’s Instagram accounts, featuring a photo of the producers toasting with Musk. “IT’S OFFICIAL, VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN… WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM.”

And you all know the backlash was evident in the comments, with one highly liked comment stating, “Trying to force Black people back to Twitter with music while you’ve made the site a playground for straight up white supremacists is an insult to our intelligence — basically saying ‘it doesn’t matter how we treat them as long as we give them a hot beat to dance to.’ NO.”

Get this, Swizz Beatz responded to the criticism, noting, “But nobody said anything before we been on that platform since Verzuz started.” He further addressed concerns on X, saying, “You will see my intentions as always. We must change what we don’t like, not complain about it. We go hard since the 90s. People will soon see the plan. I understand that people have questions, and they will also understand I’m not a silly person.” He also pointed out the irony of critics using X to voice their complaints, adding, “But you’re on X [laughing emoji].”

Unless you were under a rock when the world shut down, Verzuz, created during the pandemic, gained popularity through Instagram Live battles between respected artists. It faced a hiatus in 2022 due to a legal dispute with Triller, which had acquired the platform in 2021. The lawsuit was settled the same year, with Swizz and Timbaland hinting at Verzuz’s return in 2023.

Verzuz has featured many iconic matchups, including Monica vs. Brandy, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole, and Dipset vs. The Lox.

Do ya’ll have an issue with Swizz partnering with Elon Musk? The latter mogul is controversial, polarizing and one would think he is ultimately self serving but one thing is for sure, he cut a deal with Swizz and Timbaland, and they said yes.

The post Swizz Beatz Responds to Backlash From Controversial ‘Verzuz’ Deal With Elon Musk’s ‘X’ Platform first appeared on The Source.

The post Swizz Beatz Responds to Backlash From Controversial ‘Verzuz’ Deal With Elon Musk’s ‘X’ Platform appeared first on The Source.

Spotify Launches New Plan in U.S. For a Dollar Less That Entirely Exclude Audiobooks

June 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Spotify has introduced a new subscription plan, Basic, priced at $10.99 per month, offering a $1 discount for users who don’t need audiobook access. Take that, inflation!

Check this out, this single-user plan provides ad-free access to millions of songs and podcast episodes but excludes the audiobook feature available in the regular Premium Individual plan, which costs $11.99 per month.

Spotify explained this one who dollar drop in price stating, “Enjoy the music streaming benefits of your Premium plan without the monthly audiobook listening time,” when announcing the Basic tier. In contrast, the higher-priced premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening time monthly from a catalog of over 250,000 titles.

Get this, the basic plan’s launch follows recent price increases for most of Spotify’s existing plans. The Individual plan rose by $1 to $11.99 per month, the Family plan went up by $3 to $19.99 per month, and the Premium Duo plan increased by $2 to $16.99 per month.

Oh but wait, additionally, Spotify offers an audiobooks-only plan for $9.99 per month, providing 15 hours of audiobook listening time.

The new Audiobooks Access tier, introduced on March 1, allows Spotify to pay lower music-licensing rates for bundled plans. This follows a 2022 settlement between the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and streaming services, which includes a carveout for bundles like Amazon Prime and Apple Music + Apple News.

Don’t get too excited because last week, the NMPA filed a complaint with the FTC against Spotify, arguing that these music-and-audiobook bundles will reduce mechanical royalty payments to songwriters and artists by $150 million annually. Spotify acknowledges that the bundles allow for lower royalty rates but maintains that overall earnings for creators will continue to rise.

The post Spotify Launches New Plan in U.S. For a Dollar Less That Entirely Exclude Audiobooks first appeared on The Source.

The post Spotify Launches New Plan in U.S. For a Dollar Less That Entirely Exclude Audiobooks appeared first on The Source.

Swizz Beatz Dismisses Backlash To His & Timbaland’s “Verzuz” Deal With Elon Musk

June 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The announcement of a new exclusive Verzuz distribution partnership with Twitter had many fans calling series heads Swizz Beatz and Timbaland out for allegedly “selling out.” Moreover, this new initiative became news on Juneteenth, and followed much controversy after Musk supported a tweet on his platform that provided false comparative data of Black-on-white murder. However, Swizz took to Instagram on Friday morning (June 21) to double down on his support and on his belief that he and Timbo are doing what’s right and best for them and the series without compromising on their values. He included a couple of other pictures of the meeting in which they apparently sealed the deal.

“We will show you better than tell you. Blessings to all,” Swizz Beatz captioned the social media post. In the comments section of that post (which you can find below), he addressed some specific concerns. “But nobody said anything before we been on that platform since Verzuz started,” the producer replied to a comment stating that folks have valid reason to be skeptical about this. “Verzuz been on this platform since day one !” he responded to a complaint that suggested they do this with another social media site. “People want to talk with out doing the homework . The convo always been on that platform King bless up!! and we’re 100% black owned that’s not enough we own 100% of the IP and company!”

Swizz Beatz’s Latest IG Post: See Comments For His Retorts

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A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz)

However, Swizz Beatz did agree with a bizarre comment about his new Instagram post being what they should’ve posted on Juneteenth. In addition, he had this to say about someone that criticized him and Timbaland for apparently selling out and doing something that the people aren’t feeling. “Trust me that was the last thing we did was sell out [crying-laughing emoji] relax you will understand in 1min.”

Meanwhile, Swizz Beatz teased a lot when it came to the reunion of Tha Dogg Pound that landed earlier this year. Hopefully this means that there’s much more new music on the way as well, regardless of what happens with Verzuz. It’ll be exciting to see how it develops, even with these grievances and concerns in mind. All we can hope for is that he and Timbaland got a much better understanding of a hopefully beneficiary deal than we did.

[via]

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Elon Musk Faces Backlash For Sharing Racist Post About Crime Statistics

June 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Elon Musk is facing backlash on social media after sharing a racist post on X (formerly Twitter) about the total number of murders between the races. The post compares the total number of killings between the white and Black populations from 1950 and 2024. Disparities in homicide totals have commonly been used as a way of implying that Black Americans are inherently dangerous.

The post came in response to Sneako being punched by a security guard at the America First Political Action Conference. The user wrote: “It’s true that things have changed since the 1950s. 1950s: Blacks killed about 600 more whites each year than whites killed blacks. Now: Blacks kill nearly 1,500 more whites each year than whites kill blacks.” Musk responded with an exclamation point.

Elon Musk Speaks At Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity

CANNES, FRANCE – JUNE 19: Chief Technology Officer of X Elon Musk speaks onstage during the “Exploring the New Frontiers of Innovation: Mark Read in Conversation with Elon Musk” session at the Lumiere Theatre during the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2024 – Day Three on June 19, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/WireImage)

Predictably, he’s facing tons of backlash for the move. When The Neighborhood Talk shared it on Instagram one user commented: “Those stats are literally NOT TRUE [laughing emojis] this is exactly why r@cism will never end…people like this just keep the fire lit and we’ll forever be divided! Elon knows what he’s doing by going along with it smh…bet y’all will still buy and drive his cars… smh.” Another wrote: “He way more sinister than he shows tryna tell folks lol he brought Twitter for a reason.” Check out Musk’s tweet below.

Elon Musk Shares Racist Post

!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 18, 2024

In addition to the controversial post, Musk has also been making headlines on Wednesday after Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced they’re bringing Verzuz to X. Be on the lookout for further updates on Elon Musk on HotNewHipHop.

[Via].

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Megan Thee Stallion Overjoyed After Receiving A Custom “BOA” GameBoy

June 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Megan Thee Stallion put on for her hometown over the weekend, as the H-Town Hottie had a four-day stay in Texas for her tour. Her massive journey across the United States, and eventually the UK, has been a pretty successful one, to say the least. Throughout her run, Megan has brought out some high-profile guests, previewed new music, and has just an overall blast performing. All of this is building further anticipation for her forthcoming album MEGAN, which is slated for release on June 28. In addition to the Hot Girl Summer trek, the hitmaker has put out three promotional singles. The most recent one is “BOA”, which also received a cool retro video game to go along with it. That reason alone is why Megan Thee Stallion was gifted a custom Game Boy handheld with a version of the game on it.

According to HipHopDX, the “Cobra” songwriter got this rad gift from the folks over at the Moody Center in Austin. The Game Boy device even has one of the outfits she wore in the music video for “BOA”. The event center shared the video on TikTok, and Megan was absolutely nerding out over the present. She screamed like a little schoolgirl, as she could not believe what she was holding in her hands.

Megan Thee Stallion Is LOVING Her Custom Game Boy

As soon as she turned on the handheld gaming device, it loaded the “BOA”-inspired game. The loading screen read, “HOT GIRLS #INTHEMOOD”. Every fan in the comments section was happy to how ecstatic the rap superstar was. “She was soooo excited. I love this”, one user wrote. “I love Megan having joy like it’s infectious”, another adds. In addition to the tech, she also received a custom box and jewelry. Megan just keeps winning and winning.

What are your thoughts on Megan Thee Stallion receiving a custom Game Boy with her “BOA” game on it? Is this one of the coolest gifts a rapper has gotten lately, why or why not? Did you ever have one of these growing up? Are you still pumped for her upcoming self-titled album? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Megan Thee Stallion. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

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Elon Musk Is Ready To Ban Apple Products From His Companies

June 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Elon Musk says he plans to ban all Apple products from his companies after they announced a partnership with OpenAI at WWDC 2024, earlier this week. When CEO Tim Cook shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), Musk weighed in with serious criticism of the move.

“Don’t want it. Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies,” he wrote at first. He added: “If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation. And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.” From there, he ranted: “It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy! Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.”

Elon Musk Speaks At Milken Institute’s Global Conference

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 6: Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,on May 6, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. The 27th annual global conference explores various topics, from the rise of generative AI to electric vehicle trends and features participants, soccer star David Beckham and actor Ashton Kutcher. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

OpenAI is best known for creating ChatGPT. “Suppose you want to create a custom bedtime story for your six-year-old who loves butterflies and solving riddles,” Apple software chief Craig Federighi said during the conference. “Put in your initial idea, and send to ChatGPT.” OpenAI has also already landed a multibillion-dollar deal with Microsoft.

Elon Musk Calls Out Apple For AI Implementation

Don’t want it.

Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!

Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

Check out Musk’s posts about artificial intelligence and Apple above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Elon Musk on HotNewHipHop.

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Elon Musk Used Starlink To Give A Remote Tribe Internet Access, Now The Tribe’s Young Men Are Addicted To Porn

June 5, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Elon Musk has used his Starlink Systems service to provide internet in remote locations of the world. Overall, it has proven to be a net positive, and one of the few things we can commend Musk for. Unfortunately, there have been some unintended negative consequences to some of these good deeds. For instance, Musk recently gave internet to the Marubo tribe located in the Amazon. Although this seemed like a good way to connect with the outside world, the Marubo’s are facing some severe challenges.

Alfredo Marubo claims that there are young men in the tribe who are now exhibiting some aggressive and concerning behaviors. Many of these behaviors are sexual in nature, and he believes it stems from a burgeoning porn addiction. In fact, many young men have been sharing explicit videos, and it has the older men in the tribe quite perturbed. However, it isn’t just porn that appears to be a main concern right now. Some members have reported young men playing violent video games while also becoming addicted to their phones.

Elon Musk Tried

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A post shared by Akademiks TV (@djakademikstv)

For now, the tribe is unsure how they are going to remedy the situation. However, it isn’t all a nightmare. They did make mention of the fact that they have gotten a lot of positives out of the internet. Plenty of educational resources have become available and they are happy to connect with the outside world. It has left many conflicted, and it remains to be seen what the tribe will decide to do next. Either way, this is a fascinating look into human psychology, and how others may use the new technologies available to them.

Be sure to let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that it was a mistake to give the tribe internet? What do you think of porn addiction as a whole and those who find themselves wrapped up in it? 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 projects.

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The post Elon Musk Used Starlink To Give A Remote Tribe Internet Access, Now The Tribe’s Young Men Are Addicted To Porn appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Billionaire Spotify CEO Claims the Cost of Making “Content” Is “Close to Zero” and Sparks Immediate Backlash

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek faced significant backlash after claiming on X (formerly Twitter) that the cost of creating content is “close to zero.” Let’s take a moment to think about that. This guy is a billionaire who built an empire primarily from a streaming platform that pays most artists pennies, and he dares to…. Okay, let’s get on with what he said:

“Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. While much of what we see and hear quickly becomes obsolete, there are timeless ideas or even pieces of music that can remain relevant for decades or even centuries.”

Ek continued reflecting on enduring ideas: “For example, we’re witnessing a resurgence of Stoicism, with many of Marcus Aurelius’s insights still resonating thousands of years later. This makes me wonder: what are the most unintuitive, yet enduring ideas that aren’t frequently discussed today but might have a long shelf life? Also, what are we creating now that will still be valued and discussed hundreds or thousands of years from today?”

Musicians and music fans quickly criticized Ek’s remarks. Composer Tim Prebble responded, “Music will still be valued in a hundred years. Spotify won’t. It will only be remembered as a bad example of a parasitic tool for extracting value from other peoples music. (or ‘content’ as some grifters like to call it).”

Other users echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the low payouts Spotify provides to artists per stream. Primal Scream bassist Simone Marie Butler bluntly commented, “Fuck off you out of touch billionaire.” The Future of Music Coalition added, “It actually can still be expensive to make records, especially if you care about paying your collaborators fairly. Many musicians are skilled at cutting corners to accomplish their creative goals within limited budgets.”

For the record, he has since clarified his statements in a follow-up post on X, but what do you think? Is the damage done, or not?

The post Billionaire Spotify CEO Claims the Cost of Making “Content” Is “Close to Zero” and Sparks Immediate Backlash first appeared on The Source.

The post Billionaire Spotify CEO Claims the Cost of Making “Content” Is “Close to Zero” and Sparks Immediate Backlash appeared first on The Source.

X (Formerly Twitter) Is Officially Allowing Porn But There’s A Catch

June 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), is officially allowing porn to be posted on the site, but the adult content must be labeled as such and can’t be posted in profile pictures or banners. The company made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

“We believe that users should be able to create, distribute and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed,” X said in a statement. “Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. We believe in the autonomy of adults to engage with and create content that reflects their own beliefs, desires, and experiences, including those related to sexuality.”

Elon Musk Speaks At Viva Technology Conference

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 16: Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France. Elon Musk is visiting Paris for the VivaTech show where he gives a conference in front of 4,000 technology enthusiasts. He also took the opportunity to meet Bernard Arnaud, CEO of LVMH and the French President. Emmanuel Macron, who has already met Elon Musk twice in recent months, hopes to convince him to set up a Tesla battery factory in France, his pioneer company in electric cars. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

“We balance this freedom by restricting exposure to Adult Content for children or adult users who choose not to see it,” the statement continues, “We also prohibit content promoting exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviors. We also do not allow sharing Adult Content in highly visible places such as profile photos or banners.” The company defines “adult content” as any “consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behavior that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal.”

X To Formally Allow Adult Content

Twitter/X announces they are officially allowing adult content:

“You may share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior […] users should be able to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually… pic.twitter.com/X449GEBfYf

— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 3, 2024

Despite the new announcement, adult content has certainly been present on Twitter in the past. Reuters reported in October 2022 that 13% of all posts on the platform contained adult content, as noted by Variety. Be on the lookout for further updates on X on HotNewHipHop.

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Ticketmaster Hit With Massive Data Breach As Over Half A Billion Customers Have Their Personal Information Stolen

May 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Ticketmaster is easily one of the largest companies in the entire world. Overall, they have a monopoly of sorts on the live events market. If you are someone who has bought tickets to either a concert or sporting event, you have probably dealt with Ticketmaster. In fact, you have probably dealt with some massive price spikes while trying to cop tickets in real-time. Although everyone has to use them, the Department of Justice is filing an antitrust lawsuit against them. However, there is no telling what will come of this.

Well, some bad news has hit the company once again this morning. According to Uproxx, the group ShinyHunters has claimed to have hacked Ticketmaster in what can be described as a data breach. They have allegedly stolen the personal information of 560 million customers, which comes out to 1.3 Terabytes. In fact, they are looking to sell this data for a total of $500K. As for what the hackers stole, they currently have usernames, contact information, order info, and partial payment info. Partial payment info meaning the expiry date of your credit card, as well as the last four digits.

Ticketmaster Customers Upset

MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 18: : In this photo illustration, A ticketmaster website is shown on a computer screen on November 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The Justice Department is reportedly investigating the parent company of Ticketmaster for possible antitrust violations, this follows the news that Taylor Swift concert ticket sales overwhelmed the Ticketmaster system.(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Ticketmaster has not officially commented on the situation. Needless to say, customers are being left in the lurch on this one. Given all the scrutiny Ticketmaster is under right now, this is probably the last thing they need. Needless to say, consumer confidence is likely at an all time low.

Let us know what you think about this recent development, in the comments section down below. Does this news worry you at all as someone who uses Ticketmaster? Are you going to think twice about using them in the future? Additionally, stay tuned 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 projects.

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