Technology

Snoop Dogg’s Son Reveals How He And His Dad Convinced Eminem To Enter The Metaverse

by
snoop dogg and eminem super bowl 2022
Getty Image

It looks like Eminem is the latest rapper to join the Metaverse. In a video shared by Snoop Dogg’s son, Cordell Broadus, Snoop is seen talking to Eminem on the phone, trying to persuade him to join the NFT space.

Cordell shared a video on his NFT-centered Twitter page, breaking down in a thread how Snoop convinced Eminem to enter the Metaverse.

“Story time with #ChampMedici,” Said Cordell in a tweet. “I saw Paul Rosenberg eating dinner at Barclays November 3rd 2021 and I didn’t hesitate to tell him to bring Em 2 this space, he wasn’t convinced / so I had my client @SnoopDogg call Em November 21st to convince him (here’s the phone call).”

During the call, Eminem can be heard saying, “That’s a crazy-ass idea.”

Deeper into the thread, Cordell revealed how Eminem and Snoop linked to collaborate on the song “From The D 2 The LBC,” and how they worked with Gary Vaynerchuck to produce the song’s NFT music video.

“Im not bragging or making this about me it’s just a beautiful thing to see how time works and ideas are always on our side,” he wrote on Twitter. “Any go getters out there that may have to go through a journey of people fully not understanding ur vision…have faith & be patient.”

Audiomack Expands International Presence with Launch of Audiomack Punjabi

by
punjabi banner 2

Audiomack Punjabi, a new vertical focusing on enhancing the renowned genre, introducing it to new audiences, and delivering diverse playlists spotlighting the region’s most popular modern musicians, was launched today by artist-first music streaming service Audiomack.

Punjabi will now be available alongside hip-hop, Afrobeats, Latin, Caribbean, and other popular genres on the streaming service. Punjabi Verified, 808 Pind (Village), Ishq, Party Pataka, Punjab to Canada, Punjabi Duets, and more will be added to the newly launched playlists, which will be updated regularly.

Amrit Maan, The PropheC, Himmat Sandhu, Ezu, Jasmine Sandlas & Gur Sidhu, Karan Aujla, Himanshi Khurana, and Baani Sandhu, as well as the late-great Sidhu Moose Wala, will be the initial cover stars of Audiomack’s playlists.

We are excited to officially launch the Punjabi genre on the Audiomack platform,” Audiomack co-founder and CMO David Ponte said. “These new playlists and trending section will position Punjabi artists alongside hip-hop, Afrobeats, and Latin music, rightfully giving them a share of an ever-growing pie of hungry music fans. We are confident that Audiomack’s free suite of tools, including the Creator App, Supporters, and discovery solutions, will connect this growing genre with prospective fans worldwide. Our mission is to be a catalyst for the genre’s international growth, much like our impact on Afrobeats’ popularity in the West, for years to come and share the talents of these undeniable artists with Audiomack’s users.”

The inauguration of the new vertical pays homage to the genre’s long history and legacy in India and Pakistan. It’s an opportunity for Audiomack to better serve fans around the world, educate new listeners about the Punjabi sound, and highlight the region’s cultural achievements.

“Punjabi music has been pushing into the mainstream space like Latin and AfroBeats for a minute. It’s great to see Audiomack have their ear to the ground and have the foresight to give our music the platform it deserves,” Punjabi artist Jaz Dhami said. “I feel Audiomack will help close the gap between genres even further as it’s not your typical streaming site. Globally, this is going to help link artists like never before.”

Beyond Asia, the genre is popular amongst the massive Indian diaspora across the globe.

“We are delighted to formalize the association with Audiomack, allowing our artists and the extensive catalog of Punjabi music to reach global audiences along with the other popular genres like hip-hop, Afro Beats, Latin and many more,” Believe Digital Regional Director (Believe – Artist Services, India) Shilpa Sharda said. “This collaboration will be a great addition to our existing brand relationships and an immense opportunity for our artists to build up their fan base internationally.”

More information about Audiomack Punjabi can be found here.

The post Audiomack Expands International Presence with Launch of Audiomack Punjabi appeared first on The Source.

Elon Musk Responds To Snoop Dogg’s Wild Plan To Buy Twitter

by
Snoop Dogg American Song Contest 2022
Getty Image

A few days ago, Elon Musk announced his acquisition of Twitter was temporarily on hold as he awaits more information about how many of the platform’s accounts are spam or fake. As the purchase is paused, Snoop Dogg sees an opportunity to swoop in and buy Twitter himself and Musk has thoughts about the rapper’s mission.

On Friday, Snoop laid out his plan, most elements of which are questionable at best. He wrote over the course of multiple tweets, “May have 2 buy Twitter now. Gonna replace the board of directors with Jimmy from my corner Fish Fry, Tommy Chung and tha guy with the ponytail on CNBC. First line of business. Free internet on airplanes!!! 29 dollars for 1 hour is bullsh*t. Everyone gets a blue checkmark. Even tha bots with 10 letters in their name that hit you in DMs n just say ‘Hello’. Nah f*ck those bots. #WhenSnoopBuysTwitter …”

Yesterday, Musk responded with two fire emojis, to which Snoop replied, “You bring the fire I’ll bring the smoke!!”

Of course, Snoop is most likely joking about his plan, given the ridiculousness of some of his ideas; the free airplane WiFi is a good one, though, although that’s not really something he could change owning Twitter. Furthermore, buying Twitter is expensive, outside the price range of even Snoop, whose net worth is estimated at $150 million.

Elon Musk Reveals He Would Reverse Trump’s Twitter Ban

by
elon musk tesla

One of the fears of Elon Musk purchasing Twitter was the reinstatement of Donald Trump to the platform. Musk has recently revealed that is one of his plans.

CNN Business notes Musk was on hand at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference and publicly acknowledged his bid to buy the bird for the first time.

“I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump, I think that was a mistake,” Musk said. “I would reverse the perma-ban. … But my opinion, and Jack Dorsey, I want to be clear, shares this opinion, is that we should not have perma-bans.”

Musk added, “Banning Trump from Twitter didn’t end Trump’s voice, it will amplify it among the right and this is why it’s morally wrong and flat out stupid.”

Trump was suspended after the January 6 Capitol Riot as he used the platform to incite violence. Trump has not confirmed that he would return to the forum if allowed.

Musk is closing on a deal to purchase Twitter for $44 billion.

The post Elon Musk Reveals He Would Reverse Trump’s Twitter Ban appeared first on The Source.

Apple Finally Discontinues The iPod Line More Than 20 Years After Introducing It

by
John Mayer Steve Jobs iPod Mini Macworld 2004
Getty Image

It’s the end of an era for an iconic line of Apple devices: Today, Apple announced they will no longer manufacture its only remaining model of iPod, as reported by Variety.

Although Apple had ceased the manufacturing of the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano back in 2017, the iPod Touch, which was first introduced in 2007, was announced to be discontinued today. The last of the iPod Touch models are available for purchase online.

When the original iPod was first introduced in October 2001, it was a different kind of audio file player — one that could play over 1,000 songs. Since its conception, various versions of the iPod have been manufactured, including the iPod Nano, a smaller version of the classic model which later evolved to play video, as well as the touchscreen multi-use iPod Touch, and the screenless iPod Shuffle.

U2 even had a red and black edition of the classic model, and commercials for the iPod popularized songs like Feist‘s “1,2,3,4” and Caesars’ “Jerk It Out.”

“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to and shared,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing, in a statement.

Netflix Tests Out Fees to Crack Down on Password Sharing

by
Netflix

Then world’s largest streaming service may soon get more (official) subscribers as Netflix announced today that it would begin a rollout to test an initiative that would crack down on illicit password-sharing.

In the past, Netflix had generally turned a blind eye to password sharing. Last spring, Netflix began implementing slightly stricter security protocols, prompting users to re-enter their login credentials, even if they had previously been logged onto a device. However, many viewers found ways to circumnavigate that measure, namely by re-entering their login and password.

This week, Netflix announced that it would be rolling out a pilot program in three markets (Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru). The new “add an extra member” feature would prompt Standard and Premium subscribers to add subsidiary accounts for up to two people they don’t live with, each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login and password for about $2.99 USD per new account. 

In an official statement on their website, the company explained the basics of the plan as well as the rationale behind the move, saying: “We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans. While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”

However, Netflix did not provide specific details about what they categorized as a household and how household members would be identified if they were not all on the home IP address (watching at work, at the gym, while traveling, etc.). 

Netflix has not announced any plans to test any similar programs in the United States in the immediate near-term future.

As usual, social media had a lot to say about the proposed initiative.

The post Netflix Tests Out Fees to Crack Down on Password Sharing appeared first on The Source.

Kid Cudi Launches His New Live Music App Encore After Securing $9 Million In Funding

by
Kid Cudi during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon'
Getty Image / Theo Wargo/NBC

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kid Cudi launched Encore in October 2020. The mobile app’s vision is to help artists share music, interact with fans, and host live shows. This week, Encore launched the Encore Studio App after getting $9 million in seed funding.

This is the second mobile application under the Encore umbrella, the first being Encore’s Interactive Live Music app for the fans, and now, the Encore Studio: Live Music AR app, which will allow artists to perform for fans by way of augmented reality through mobile devices.

“Music artists are the original creators and they have been forgotten by the creator economy and overrun by memes and algorithms on social media,” Jonathan Gray, CEO of Encore, said in a statement. “Our live AR technology empowers any artist to create personalized content and host experiences for their fans without a production budget or crew and make real cash with 100’s of engaged fans.”

The $9 million dollar funding comes from Battery Ventures, along with 468 Capital, Parade Ventures, Nomade Ventures, Moving Capital, Kayak Ventures, and Gaingels. During its beta stage, artists like Too Short, Kyle, and DC The Don performed shows via Encore. Fans were able to support the artists through microtransactions in the form of a 10-cent “clap.”

“My number one priority has always been inspiring others and providing them the space to tell their own stories in an authentic and meaningful way,” said Cudi in a statement. “We created Encore as a space for artists to share their art, build community, while also being able to pay their rent.”