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Pete Rock Slams A.I. Music: “It’s Mad Disrespectful”

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Pete Rock labeled A.I.-generated music “mad disrespectful” on Twitter, Sunday morning. The post came after a song created by artificial intelligence that mimicked Drake and The Weeknd went viral on social media. The iconic hip-hop producer clearly isn’t a fan.

“AI is mad disrespectful and if y’all dont see that but think this AI stuff is dope then you are a part of the problem,” he wrote in the post. “They cant beat Black culture, so what do they do when they cant measure natural talent? Silly shit like AI! AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling.”

Pete Rock Performing At SXSW

AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 14: Pete Rock performs during Salaam Remi Presents: Louder Than Life at Remedy during SXSW 2014 on March 14, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rahav Segev/Getty Images)

Fans had mixed responses to Rock’s post. One disagreed while still praising his talents as a producer: “I don’t get why @peterock is so hot about AI. Do you think AI can really dig into crates like you and sample and remix songs that haven’t even been digitized. I understand why vocalist would be hot. But no AI could ever match Pete Rock and @REALDJPREMIER. Why you salty?” Another was in full agreement with Rock: “I agree with you 100% @PeteRock. If Artificial Intelligence existed in the 1970s there would be no Hip Hop today.”

Rock is far from the only artist to criticize the use of A.I. in music creation. Drake also complained after the fake song of his went viral. “This is the final straw AI,” Drake wrote online. Universal Music Group also shared a statement to the Financial Times revealing that they plan to take legal action. “We have a moral and commercial responsibility to our artists to work to prevent the unauthorized use of their music and to stop platforms from ingesting content that violates the rights of artists and other creators,” the company said. “We have become aware that certain AI systems might have been trained on copyrighted content without obtaining the required consents from, or paying compensation to, the rightsholders who own or produce the content.”

Pete Rock’s Take On A.I.

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The Game’s Sexual Assault Accuser Goes After UMG

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The Game’s sexual assault accuser, Priscilla Rainey, is now targeting the rapper’s label, Universal Music Group. She previously won a $7.1 million judgment against Game, but claims he only paid $383,502.39 of the royalties he owes. Rainey is hoping that UMG will help her receive the rest.

“Rainey respectfully requests that a post-judgment writ of garnishment be issued commanding Universal Music-MBG NA LLC, the Garnishee named above, to answer the writ of garnishment according to law, along with such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper,” court documents obtained by AllHipHop read.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 21: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Rapper The Game visits the SiriusXM Studios on September 21, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Rainey alleges that The Game sexually assaulted her while she was a contestant on the reality show, She’s Got Game. When she made the accusation in 2015, she explained that she believed herself to be on a “required after-hours date”. The Game allegedly got drunk and forced “his hand inside her dress to rub her bare vagina and buttocks.”

In 2019, a judge granted Rainey $7.1 million in post-judgment interest. The Game was to fork over his royalties until reaching the figure.

More court documents read: “Any and all rights, title, and interest of Defendant from the following companies in the form of, among other things, commission, royalties, contract receivables, deferred compensation, income, wages, payroll, salary, and accounts receivable: Sound Exchange, Inc., 733 10th Street NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001; and Entertainment One U.S. LP, Attn: Michael Healy, 22 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050.”

The Game has previously stated that he doesn’t intend to pay up while Rainey accuses him of trying to hide his money. Last year, Rainey claimed Game was hiding royalties from a collaboration with Kanye West.

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Dr. Dre Close To Finalizing $200M+ Deal Including Music Assets: Report

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Dr. Dre is close to reaching an agreement in finalizing a deal that’s worth $200M, according to Billboard.

Dre’s selling a packaged deal to UMG and Shamrock Holdings that includes music income streams and owned music assets. The Emmy Award winner‘s assets, which reportedly generate $10M annually, are being sold in two separate deals to the companies.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Dr. Dre performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Sources close to the situation claim that the deal with Shamrock includes artist royalties from a pair of solo albums, as well as shares from his royalties from N.W.A. Additionally, sources said his producer included his royalties and writer’s share of his song catalog (the ones where he doesn’t own publishing) in the deal. The writer’s share could include songs from The Chronic.

UMG’s potential deal with Dre could include the ownership of the master recording of The Chronic. Additionally, Dre’s also including his share of Kendrick Lamar’s releases under Aftermath/Interscope’s deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. However, sources did not specify the songs included in the bundle. It should be noted his ownership stake in Aftermath isn’t offered as part of Dre’s assets for sale.

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 12: Dr. Dre at Madison Square Garden on February 12, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage)

Shamrock Holdings could reportedly snag 75% to 90% of the revenue from Dre’s packaged deal. At the same time, UMG could possibly gain 10% to 25% of the remaining package, consisting of revenue from owned assets.

There are conflicting reports surrounding the number attached to the deal. The asking price is upwards of $250M but sources close say that Dre will likely get closer to $200M. Ultimately, the deal seems to be anywhere between the two figures.

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Black Sheep Files $750Mil Lawsuit Against UMG Over Unpaid Royalties: Report

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Usually, it’s good to hear about iconic Rap groups, but Black Sheep isn’t surfacing for a walk down Hip Hop’s memory lane. Instead, the classic duo—which includes Andres “Dres” Vargas Titus and William “Mista Lawnge” McLean—is reportedly suing Universal Music Group. According to a report by Rolling Stone, the pair have filed a $750 million class action lawsuit against UMG over unpaid royalties.

Black Sheep claims that UMG worked out a deal with Spotify that shortchanged artists in the long run. Universal is accused of exchanging music from artists for cash and Spotify stock.

Read More: Universal Music Sued Over Royalty Payouts For Kanye West’s “Power”

The rappers also allege they weren’t advised of this side deal; thus, it violates their contract with UMG’s subsidiary, Polygram.

“In the mid-2000s, Universal struck an undisclosed, sweetheart deal with Spotify,” the lawsuit reportedly reads. “Universal agreed to accept substantially lower royalty payments on artists’ behalf in exchange for equity stake in Spotify – then a fledgling streaming service.”

“Yet rather than distribute to artists their 50 percent of Spotify stock or pay artists their true and accurate royalty payments, for years Universal shortchanged artists and deprived plaintiffs and class members of the full royalty payments they were owed under Universal’s contract.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK-October 1: Hip-Hop Duo Black Sheep’s Mista Lawnge (William McLean) and Dres (Andres Vargas Titus) appear in a portrait taken on October 1, 1994 in Brooklyn, New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/MIchael Ochs Archives).
Read More: Universal Music Group Pulls Catalog From TikTok Rival Triller

Following Rolling Stone‘s report, a UMG spokesperson denied Black Sheep’s claims.

“Universal Music Group’s innovative leadership has led to the renewed growth of the music ecosystem to the benefit of recording artists, songwriters and creators around the world,” they said.

“UMG has a well-established track record of fighting for artist compensation and the claim that it would take equity at the expense of artist compensation is patently false and absurd. Given that this is pending litigation, we cannot comment on all aspects of the complaint.”

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50 Cent Recalls Turning Down $1.3 Million Offer From UMG

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50 Cent says that he once turned down a $1.3 million offer from Universal Music Group due to the label’s affiliation with Murder Inc. executive Irv Gotti. Gotti had previously admitted to blocking labels from signing 50 during a 2020 interview with B. High of Hot 107.9.

“Irv [Gotti] was talking in the interview and he was talking about he was blocking me,” 50 Cent said during a recent interview. “Like he was blocking everything. He said, ‘I blocked him into a good situation.’ And it just went off. And, I saw the situations I didn’t feel where he felt he was blocking me at that point. But I wouldn’t do business with anyone who had direct associations or any influence to the things that they had that was working.”

LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 20: Recording artist Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson of the music group G-Unit performs onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

From there, 50 further recalled explaining to Tony Yayo that Gotti could “sabotage” everything they had built through that point.

He continued: “So they offered me a million three to do a G-Unit and my solo album at Universal and I just turned the deal down. [Tony] Yayo didn’t understand he was like, ‘What? A million three you not gone do it, what? That’s like saying we hit the lottery and you not going to pick up the ticket.’ And I’m like, ‘Nah it’s not the right deal,’ because it’s in the Universal system. Def Jam and those guys was already making money from that system. Where they could influence and sabotage everything that I had going.”

As for how Gotti is connected to UMG, Murder Inc. Records is a subsidiary of Def Jam, a division of Universal Music Group. Gotti and 50 have been going back and forth on social media for years at this point.

Check out 50 Cent’s story, as shared by HipHopDX below.

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The Weeknd Expanded His Partnership With UMG To Include Publishing, Merchandise And Audiovisual Releases

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The Weeknd iHeartRadio Music Awards
Getty Image

Fresh off a massive headlining performance at Coachella, in which he was basically the only artist who could replace Kanye West after a last-minute cancelation, The Weeknd no longer has to prove his star power. The self-proclaimed Starboy (sorry, had to) is locked into a massive deal with Universal Music Group, who have doubled down on their partnership with the artist. Given his excellent new album, Dawn FM, and 2020’s massive release, After Hours, it’s not surprising that UMG now wants to partner with Abel Tesfaye on all “recorded music, publishing, merchandise and video.”

According to Variety, UMG will remain The Weeknd’s home for all things label-related, and take over his future music publishing rights once a deal with Kobalt expires. Universal’s merchandising arm, Bravado, will work with XO on “global merchandising, branding, ecommerce and retail licensing opportunities around future projects and releases.” Also, Republic and UMG will handle all future audiovisual projects. So basically, everything he might get into over the future course of his career.

UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said the following about the partnership: “Over the past decade, we have been honored to work so closely with Abel, who has quickly become one of music’s most creative and important artists—a once-in-a-generation talent. With Sal and the XO team as our incredible partners, we’ve developed a deep trust and respect that has enabled us to successfully execute Abel’s brilliant vision.”