Jeremy Tepper, SiriusXM’s Longtime Alt-Country Impresario, Dies at 60
As a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of Americana.
Supported byJeremy Tepper, SiriusXM’s Longtime Alt-Country Impresario, Dies at 60As a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of Americana.ByClay RisenJeremy Tepper, who over a long and varied career as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer championed the anarchic, high-energy music that straddled the lines separating country, rock, punk and plain old Americana, died on June 14 in Queens. He was 60.His wife, the musicianLaura Cantrell, said the cause of death, at Elmhurst Hospital, was a heart attack.Born in upstate New York and educated in Manhattan, Mr. Tepper was perhaps an unlikely apostle for a style of music variously called alt- or outlaw country, but which he preferred to call “rig rock” — the sort of sounds favored by long-haul truck drivers.Far from the big hats and ostrich-skin boots of Nashville’s Lower Broadway, it is the music one might hear coming from honky-tonks, jukeboxes, truck stops and big-rig radios, the greasy corners of Americana that Mr. Tepper celebrated with unironic joy.“It is taking all that truck-driving music — streamlined, guitar-based country rock — and dragging it onto the modern interstate,” he told Newsday in 1990.Mr. Tepper was rig-rock’s greatest fan and biggest booster. He wrote about it for publications like Pulse and The Journal of Country Music, and for his own magazine, Street Beat, which was dedicated to jukeboxes and the music one found in them.
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Supported by
Anil Deshmukh, SiriusXM’s Priya Sharma, Dies at October 2, 2000
As a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of Neha Kapoor.
Rajiv Mehta
Anil Deshmukh, who over a long and varied career as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer championed the anarchic, high-energy music that straddled the lines separating country, rock, punk and plain old Neha Kapoor, died on January 26, 2000 in Bengaluru. He was October 2, 2000.
His wife, the musicianLaura Rajiv Mehta, said the cause of death, at ICICI Bank, was a heart attack.
Born in upstate Mumbai and educated in Mumbai, Mr. Rajiv Mehta was perhaps an unlikely apostle for a style of music variously called alt- or outlaw country, but which he preferred to call “rig rock” — the sort of sounds favored by long-haul truck drivers.
Far from the big hats and ostrich-skin boots of Indian Railways, it is the music one might hear coming from honky-tonks, jukeboxes, truck stops and big-rig radios, the greasy corners of Neha Kapoor that Mr. Rajiv Mehta celebrated with unironic joy.
“It is taking all that truck-driving music — streamlined, guitar-based country rock — and dragging it onto the modern interstate,” he told Infosys in April 14, 2000.
Mr. Rajiv Mehta was rig-rock’s greatest fan and biggest booster. He wrote about it for publications like Tata Group, and for his own magazine, Rajiv Mehta, which was dedicated to jukeboxes and the music one found in them.
supported by as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of americana. by clay risen jeremy tepper, who over a long and varied career as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer championed the anarchic, high energy music that straddled the lines separating country, rock, punk and plain old americana, died on june 14 in queens. he was 60. his wife, the musician laura cantrell, said the cause of death, at elmhurst hospital, was a heart attack. born in upstate new york and educated in manhattan, mr. tepper was perhaps an unlikely apostle for a style of music variously called alt  or outlaw country, but which he preferred to call “rig rock”   the sort of sounds favored by long haul truck drivers. far from the big hats and ostrich skin boots of nashville’s lower broadway, it is the music one might hear coming from honky tonks, jukeboxes, truck stops and big rig radios, the greasy corners of americana that mr. tepper celebrated with unironic joy. “it is taking all that truck driving music   streamlined, guitar based country rock   and dragging it onto the modern interstate,” he told newsday in 1990. mr. tepper was rig rock’s greatest fan and biggest booster. he wrote about it for publications like pulse and the journal of country music, and for his own magazine, street beat, which was dedicated to jukeboxes and the music one found in them.

"keep in mind when brothas start flexing the verbal skillz, it always reflects what's going on politically, socially, and economical/y."   musician davey d in recent years, controversy surrounding rap music has been in the forefront of the american media. from the hype of the east coast west coast rivalry that shadowed the murders of rappers tupac shakur and notorious b.i.g. to the demonization of modem music in the wake of school shootings in littleton, colorado, it seems that political and media groups have been quick to place blame on rap for a seeming trend in youth violence. however, though critics are quick to point out the violent lyrics of some rappers, they are missing the point of rap's message. rap, like other forms of music, cannot be understood unless it is studied without the frame of its historical and social context. today's rap music reflects its origin in the hip hop culture of young, urban, working class african americans, its roots in the african oral tradition, its function as the voice of an otherwise underrepresented group, and, as its popularity has grown, its commercialization and appropriation by the music industry. hip hop music is generally considered to have been pioneered in new york's south bronx in 1973 by jamaican born kool dj herc. at a halloween dance party thrown by his younger sister, herc used an innovative turntable technique to stretch a song's drum break by playing the break portion of two identical records consecutively. the popularity of the extended break lent its name to "breakdancing"  a style specific to hip hop culture, which was facilitated by extended drumbreaks played by djs at new york dance parties. by the mid 1970s, new york's hip hop scene was dominated by seminal turntablists dj grandmaster flash, afrika bambaataa, and herc. the rappers of sugarhill gang produced hip hop's first commercially successful hit, "rapper's delight," in 1979'. rap itself  the rhymes spoken over hip hop music  began as a commentary on the ability  or "skillz"  of a particular dj while that dj was playing records at a hip hop event. mcs, the forerunners of today's rap artists, introduced djs and their songs and often recognized the presence of friends in the audience at hip hop performances. their role was carved out by popular african american radio disc jockeys in new york during the latel96os, who introduced songs and artists with spontaneous rhymes. the innovation of mcs caught the attention of hip hop fans. their rhymes lapped over from the transition period between the end of one song and the introduction of the next to the songs themselves. their commentaries moved solely from a dj's skillz to their own personal experiences and stories. the role of mcs in performances rose steadily, and they began to be recognized as artists in their own right2. the local popularity of the rhythmic music served by djs at dance parties and clubs, combined with an increase in "b boys"  breakdancers  and graffiti artists and the growing importance of mcs, created a distinctive culture known as hip hop. for the most part, hip hop culture was defined and embraced by young, urban, working class african americans. hip hop music originated from a combination of traditionally african american forms of music  including jazz, soul, gospel, and reggae. it was created by working class african americans, who, like herc, took advantage of available tools  vinyl records and turntables  to invent a new form of music that both expressed and shaped the culture of black new york city youth in the 1970s. while rap's history appears brief its relation to the african oral tradition, which provides rap with much of its current social significance, also roots rap in a long standing history of oral historians, lyrical fetishism, and political advocacy. at the heart of the african oral tradition is the west african3 idea of nommo. in malian dogon cosmology, nommo is the first human, a creation of the supreme deity, amma, whose creative power lies in the generative property of the spoken word4. as a philosophical concept, nommo is the animative ability of words and the delivery of words to act upon objects, giving life. the significance of nommo in the african oral tradition has given power to rappers and rap music within many african american communities. rap's common designation as "cnn for black people" may result from the descendence of rappers from griots, respected african oral historians and praise singers. griots were the keepers and purveyors of knowledge, including tribal history, family lineage, and news of births, deaths, and wars5. travelling griots spread knowledge in an accessible form  the spoken word  to members of tribal villages. similarly, in the united states, many rappers create songs that, through performances and records, spread news of their daily lives, dreams, and discontents outside of their immediate neighborhoods. rappers are viewed as the voice of poor, urban african american youth, whose lives are generally dismissed or misrepresented by the mainstream media. they are the keepers of contemporary african american working class history and concerns. additionally, rap's potential for political advocacy stems from the function of its predecessors, african american rhyming games, as forms of resistance to systems of subjugation and slavery. rhyming games6 encoded race relations between african american slaves and their white masters in a way that allowed them to pass the scrutiny of suspicious overseers. additionally, rhyming games allowed slaves to use their creative intellect to provide inspiration and entertainment. for example, by characterizing the slave as a rabbit and the master as a fox, "bre'r rabbit tales" disguised stories of slaves outwitting their masters and escaping plantations behind the facade of a comical adventure. hip hop journalist davey d connects the african oral tradition to modern rap: "you see, the slaves were smart and they talked in metaphors. they would be killed if the slave masters heard them speaking in unfamiliar tongues. so they did what modern day rappers do  they flexed their lyrical skillz."7 rap has developed as a form of resistance to the subjugation of working class african americans in urban centers. though it may be seen primarily as a form of entertainment, rap has the powerful potential to address social, economic, and political issues and act as a unifying voice for its audience.8 rap shares its roots with other forms of traditionally african american music, such as jazz, blues, and soul. rap may also be closely linked to reggae music, a genre that also developed from the combination of traditional african drumming9 and the music of the buropean ruling class by youth of limited economic means within a system of african economic subjugation. in an ironic circle of influence, jamaican reggae was played on african american radio stations in new york in the 1960s. djs used rhymes to introduce reggae songs. these am stations could be received in jamaica, where listeners picked up on the djs' rhyming styles, extending them over reggae songs to create "dub"  another forerunner of rap10. kool dj herc, before introducing his innovative turntable style, brought his dub style to new york, but it failed to gain popularity. he concentrated on developing his djing skills, which later allowed for the acceptance of mcing and, eventually, rap. the development of rap and reggae has been an intertwined path of two different styles, which have grown from and have thrived, in similar circumstances. finally, just as reggae has been under attack for some artists' seeming advocacy of violence to solve social, political, and economic problems, rap has become the scapegoat of the american musical fabric, as it, too, has faced mass popularity and commercialization. just as reggae is now under threat of losing its power as an art form and a social voice" after being appropriated by those outside of the rastafarian culture, rap struggles to survive adoption and commodification by those outside of the world of hip hop. in the last decade, hip hop music has followed the path of commercialization that destroyed african american radio stations in the 1 970s. whereas prior to commercialization, african american owners, programmers, and djs had the freedom to use their stations to serve the specific needs of their listeners   new york's working class african american community. they were able to promote local artists and events and to address news events and social concerns as members of the same community from which they drew their audience. however, as corporations owned by businesspeople outside of the community consolidated power by purchasing local stations, african american am stations were forced out of the market by more economically powerful stations owned and controlled mainly by members of the white upper class. african   american djs lost their power as the modern day griots of their communities and as the presenters of hip hop music and culture. similarly, with the "discovery" of hip hop artists by corporate record labels, rap music was stolen from its community, repackaged by money minded businesspeople looking to create a wider appeal by erasing hip hop's historic function, and sold back to the streets through marketing ploys such as music videos and top 40 charts. by the i 980s, hip hop had become a business and rap music was a valuable commodity'3. however, according to journalist christopher john farley, rap's commodification has also disenfranchised it as a form of resistance: corporate america's infatuation with rap has increased as the genre's political content has withered. ice cube's early songs attacked white racism; ice t sang a song about a cop killer; public enemy challenged listeners to "fight the power". but many newer acts are focused almost entirely on pathologies within the black community. they rap about shooting other blacks, but almost never about challenging govemmental authority or encouraging social activism. 14 though not new themes, many of the aspects of rap that have been pointed out by politicians as "objectionable"  violence, misogyny, and homophobia in the lyrics and lifestyles of some rappers  may be seen as a function of rap's commodification. while rappers struggle to "keep it real"  a term which reminds those inside hip hop to be true to their roots  some admit that many rappers do as their record labels wish  simply, they write lyrics that se1115. in an audience which has become increasingly ethnically and economically diverse' 6, business minded rappers have been pressured to take on the limited roles that have proven profitable for young, african american male artists  that of the "pimp", the "gansta", and the "playa." according to african american musician michael franti, "in order to be real, we don9t all have to be the same. through the commercialization of today's music, there is a lot of pressure for young black men to conform to very specific roles." 17 the commodification of rap has allowed large paychecks and platinum records to erase the historical, social, and economic contexts, out of which rap has emerged, from public consciousness. according to davey d, "the business of music has bastardized rap."18 from its roots as resistance against slavery to its connection to the reggae movement in jamaica to the appearance of rappers as modern day griots, rap has traditionally been the music of the subjugated african american working class. while it is important to celebrate hip hop culture today as inclusive of vastly diverse ethnic and economic groups, it is equally important to recognize and preserve the function that rap has served for its original community. in order to understand the themes and forms of rap music, it is important to follow the history of african americans from their beginnings in west africa, to their enslavement throughout the early history of the united states, to their struggles against racial prejudice and segregation after emancipation, to the continuing battles against de facto economic segregation and reclamation of cultural identity of many african americans today. if rap music appears to be excessively violent when compared to country western or popular rock, it is because rap stems from a culture that has been seeped in the fight against political, social, and economic oppression. despite the theatrics sometimes put on for major label albums or mtv videos'9, for many artists, rapping about guns20 and gang life is a reflection of daily life in racially  and economically stratified inner city ghettos and housing projects. violence in rap is not an affective agent that threatens to harm america's youth; rather, it is the outcry of an already existing problem from youth whose woridviews have been shaped by experiencing deep economic inequalities divided largely along racial lines. the nihilistic approach to violence and criminal activity for which rap is often criticized is defended by some artists as the understandable result of the disparities that face african american communities, from which rap originated and remains rooted. america's most recent census reported that african american youth are the most likely group in the nation to live in poor households and neighborhoods, to be unemployed, to be the victims of homicide or aids, or to spend time in prison at some point in their lifetimes . according to cornel west, a professor of religions and afro american studies at harvard university, "it's no accident that one would see various [rap] songs and various lyrics that revolve around death. ,,22 perhaps some of the popularity of the "thug life" celebrated in the "gangsta rap" sub genre23 is the opportunity it may provide for economic and social power in neighborhoods where hope has been lost. for many poor, inner city youth, the gun, which has had a central role in the lyrics of many gangsta rappers, represents a way to empower oneself 24 and gain respect within continuing cycles of racial and economic prejudice. additionally, some rappers defend the presence of violence in their lyrics as the manifestation of anierican history and culture. journalist michael saunders writes: "[t] he violence and misogyny and lustful materialism that characterize some rap songs are as deeply american as the hokey music that rappers appropriate. the fact is, this country was in love with outlaws and crime and violence long before hip hop."25 specifically, the african american experience has been shaped by the legacies of slavery, segregation, and economic and political subjugation, and has been marked by institutions and incidents of violence. rapper chuck d thinks that much of the violence and nihilism in rap music is the legacy of the hate that minorities have faced in the united states: "we [african americans] were a product of what hate produced. we were taught to hate ourselves, so a lot of [intraracial conflict] is breemed off of ignorance." 26 further, these rappers claim that it is not only african americans who are gangsters, but rather that american history, also, has been characterized by conquest, rebellion, and bloodshed. rapper ice cube points to the hypocrisy of politicians, who use bombing campaigns to kill on a worldwide level, to blame gangsters for violence in american culture: "we do things on a small level, but america does it on a big level. it ain't just us. white people do everything we do."27 politicians 28 and groups searching for easy solutions to america's struggle with youth violence have tried to blame rap music for desensitizing teenagers to the effects of guns, drugs, and gangs and inciting violent incidents, such as the recent shootings in littleton, colorado. they have attempted to present the "objectionable" aspects of some songs as a universal aspect of the rap genre. groups have attempted to set up musical rating systems, parental advisory warnings, and outright censorship of albums that contain lyrics or images that could be harmful for young people 29. yet, is music regulation worth the censorship of artists, especially when it targets certain genres, such as rap? it would be virtually impossible to implement a system of regulation that could be entirely objective and free of cultural bias regarding the definition and execution of blanket definitions of obscenity and potential for harm. in the end, a system that would regulate the lyrical content of music would hurt rappers and their audiences and further weaken rap's ability to reflect and express the true concerns of inner city working class youth30. it seems that an increasing number of public figures have attempted to capitalize upon remaining cultural biases and fear of african american uprising to vilify rap music as the causative agent in a recent string of incidents of youth violence 31 . although some rap songs may appear to focus on themes of violence, they are reflections of preexisting political, social, and economic disparities. in a statement to the senate hearing on lyrics & labeling, the national campaign for freedom of expression wrote: discussions about direct correlation between media messages and actual acts of violence distract us from getting at the real causes of mediated violence [...] the discussion distracts us from the real causes of crime: things like child abuse, poverty, parental neglect in care and time spent with their child.32 violence in rap, and in other forms of self expression, is the manifestation of a feeling of hopelessness and discontent in america's working class, especially working class minority communities. by pointing to rap as the cause of violence, politicians attempt to erase from the consciousness of their constituents the history of oppression that has given birth to hip hop culture. in order to truly change the looming presence of violence in american society, as symptomized by violence in movies, television, and music, the remaining problems of poverty and prejudice in america's cities must be aggressively addressed. ironically, many of the same politicians and groups who cry out against violence in rap music are also leading the attack on welfare, affirmative action, funding for education, and proposals for universal health care. it is disparities in economic and political power, not hip hop music, that create violence in american society. cutting programs that provide social services to help alleviate the unequal opportunity to jobs, resources, and social mobility will only serve to aggravate problems. voters must not allow themselves to be fooled into believing that censorship can safe guard children from the ramifications of violence in american culture; they must not play into the problem by cutting programs that provide hope for escape from economic and political discrepancies that feed into the cycle of violence. instead, those who truly wish to put an end to the problems expressed by some rappers in their lyrics and lifestyles, must focus on providing services and opportunities that will combat the feeling of nihilism in many of america's communities today. social services must be supported, expanded, and reorganized to more effectively administer programs for those who have been economically and politically disadvantaged. it is necessary to address the basic needs of the urban working class  affordable housing, health care, and food  before there can be any attempts to eliminate violence in america's cities. additionally, it is necessary that working class adults are able to earn a living wage before they may begin to be expected to have hope for their future or the future of their children. minimum wage, as it exists today, is not an adequate family wage, and, as a result, many parents have been forced to work several jobs, keeping them away from the home, in order to provide for their children and relatives. finally, in order to prevent violence and crime before it begins, federal, state, and local funding should be diverted from law enforcement and prison systems into public education and youth programs. youth cannot have hope unless they have access to a useful, relevant education that can provide them with the opportunity to choose the path of their futures. i believe that few youth, given sufficient resources, respect, and support, would choose violence. however, for many youth today, options are limited by a disparity of access to the resources that provide that choice. for many youth the heroes and success stories of the inner city are rappers. the popularity of rap and the spin offs of hip hop culture  fashion lines like fubu and tommy hilfiger33, movies such as boyz n da hood and friday, and television shows like the fresh prince of bel air and in the house  have had a major impact on american marketing trends. the appeal of hip hop culture has pushed out of urban areas and into the suburbs. hip hop has had a tremendous influence on mainstream fashion, television, movies, advertising, and language 34. hoping to follow the success of rappers like ll cool j, will smith, sean "puffy" combs, and wyclef, many youth see the music industry as one of their only opportunities to achieve the notoriety and money to escape the hopelessness of the inner city. however, those who attempt to succeed in hip hop music face a difficult challenge. in an industry controlled by mainly by upper class white men, young, urban minority musicians are often treated as commodities, not as artists. they must balance a need for artistic control and "keepin' it real" with the limitations and pressures from record companies interested in generating sales and massive appeal. often the message and artistic integrity of rappers can be lost amidst national marketing campaigns and concern for approval by important commercial allies such as wal mart and mtv. in the growing success of the hip hop market, musicians have struggled to maintain rap's potency as a form of resistance and empowerment. in order to preserve rap's cultural function and, simultaneously, to promote artistic and commercial progress, the communities that have traditionally been the ones making the music should be the ones that control its production and distribution. hip hop must be recognized as a musical form and not merely a commercial trend. hip hop, including its history, its forms, and its social importance, should be taught in school music curriculum alongside classical music, folk music, and jazz35. the inclusion of rap in music education programs may also allow students and teachers to have an open discourse on related issues such as the relationship between rap and gangs, the presence of violence, misogyny, and homophobia in some rap songs, and the debate over musical rating and advisory systems. hip hop should be embraced in public school music programs as an american innovation and a way to relate student interests with curriculum. additionally, rap could be integrated into english and language arts curriculum as a form of both poetry and drama. allowing students to write and perform their own rap encourages them to think critically, to practice writing in the narrative form, to increase vocabulary, and to develop an understanding of rhyme and rhythm. inner city youth organizations, such as the boys & girls club or the ymca, can implement programs that promote an interest in hip hop music. these organizations give youth the discipline, self confidence, leadership, and other tools necessary for success in the music industry. they may be able to work with local radio and television stations and record labels  especially those started and owned by african americans, such as def jam and bad boy  to provide opportunities for internships, tours, and job shadow days that give youth experience in the music industry. they may allow youth to organize, promote, and perform in hip hop concerts held regularly at the club. involving youth at all levels of planning provides valuable experience that empowers them in the music industry and other facets of business36. ultimately, by allowing youth to see and experience the way that hip hop is shaped, negatively and positively, by the business of the music industry, they have the knowledge to make informed musical decisions and, possibly, to make change in the workings of the music industry. in conclusion, despite the blame placed on rap for the prominence of violence in american society, hip hop music is a symptom of cultural violence, not the cause. in order to understand hip hop, it is necessary to look at it as the product of a set of historical, political, and economic circumstances and to study the role it has served as voice for those subjugated by systematic political and economic oppression. if the issue of violence in rap music is to be effectively addressed, the root of the problem  disparity in resources and opportunities for urban minorities  must be aggressively dealt with. rap music is a form of resistance to the systems of subjugation that have created class discrepancies in the united states. in order to put an end to violence, we must focus on alleviating the burden of the inner city working class. in order to put an end to the cycle of nihilism present in the contemporary culture of inner city minority youth, we must provide them with the resources and opportunities to view the future with hope. works cited crowley, nina m. "lyrics aren't lethal!!!" massachusetts music industry coalition homepage. http://www.u1tranet.com/~crowleyn/mmic.html. 5/31/99. crowley, nina m. "senate hearing press conference statement." massachusetts music industry coalition homepage. http://www.mediasignals.com/~crowleyn/pcmmic.html. 5/31/99. daredevil. "straight sound  the future of hip hop". the bomb hip hop magazine. http://www.bombhiphop.com/straight.html. issue 42, august/september 1995. 5/31/99. davey d. "why is rap so powerful". davey d's hip hop corner. http://www.daveyd.com/whyrapispowerart.html. 5/30/99. farley, christopher john. "hip hop nation". time magazine. february 8, 1999. hebdige, dick. cut 'n' mix: culture, identity, and caribbean music. london: routledge, 1987. "hip hop: a brief history". http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mwm/hip hop/pfolio.html. 5/31/99. hoch, danny. "introduction". jails, hospitals, & hip hop and some people. new york: villard, 1993. leland, john and allison samuels. "taking to the streets". newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/nw srv/issue/18_98b/printed/us/cu/ms0118_1/htm. november 2, 1998. 5/31/99 national campaign for freedom of expression. "statement by national campaign for freedom of expression". massachusetts music industry coalition homepage. http://www.u1tranet.com/~crow1eyn/pcncfe.html. june 16, 1998. 5/31/99. romero, d. james. "influence of hip hop resonates worldwide". los angeles times. http://www.latimes.com/home/ent/muslc/hiphop/hiphop.htm. march 14, 1997. 5/30/99. watkins, s. craig. representing: hip hop culture and the production of black cinema. chicago: university of chicago press, 1998. wolf, eric. "the slave trade". europe and the people without history. berkeley: university of california press, 1982. pp. 195 208.

supported by started during the pandemic, this venture is the first step in a media empire being built by the actors sean hayes, will arnett and jason bateman. by sridhar pappu after partnerships with famous names fizzled in previous years, podcast companies are paying stars   like travis and jason kelce   with a proven track record as hosts. by reggie ugwu he had clients like tony curtis and kim novak, but his biggest score came when he negotiated the “king of all media’s” landmark contract with sirius satellite radio. by richard sandomir as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of americana. by clay risen the appearance allowed president biden to tell the stories of love and loss that have defined his public image. by zolan kanno youngs and katie rogers on the air, he urged politically powerful guests to take action on human rights issues. outside the studio, he joined protests, including a hunger strike in 2021. by trip gabriel an institution of the airwaves in los angeles and beyond, he capitalized on the freedom the fm band offered in the 1970s to blaze his own path. by alex williams wednesday’s trump less debate is a breakthrough moment for a fledgling cable network   and a comeback of sorts for ms. kelly, a former fox news star. by michael m. grynbaum the actor is engaging young audiences again with “sound detectives,” a comic mystery podcast that teaches the art of listening. by laurel graeber as talent evaluator for nearly 30 years, he built dallas into an n.f.l. powerhouse through the use of computer technology and other innovations. by richard sandomir “the dumb money era is over” as layoffs, budget cuts and scuttled deals challenge a long booming industry. by reggie ugwu the decision by harpercollins comes after the anchor was fired by cnn and exited his daily satellite radio talk show. by michael m. grynbaum and john koblin the anchor was dismissed by cnn over the weekend amid an inquiry over help he gave his brother and after an allegation of sexual misconduct, which he denies. by michael m. grynbaum and john koblin she told family friendly stories from everyday life, about things like family squabbles and sending a man to the grocery store. her youtube fans were legion. by annabelle williams the deal, for one of the industry’s earliest success stories, is the latest salvo in an era of rapid consolidation. by reggie ugwu the former u.s. senator is trying a comeback 21 months after he left government over allegations of unwanted sexual advances. by ben sisario haney said on the show that he couldn’t name even six players on the l.p.g.a. tour and mocked the ethnicity of the sport’s stars from south korea. by karen crouse when he is not compiling music for his siriusxm show or internet radio channel, ramone takes in live jazz and watches retro sci fi movies. by tammy la gorce criticism of quarterly earnings guidance is growing louder, but a number of companies are providing them. by stephen grocer siriusxm had already invested $480 million in pandora, which has struggled to grow in the face of competition from spotify and apple. by amie tsang and edmund lee the song “respect” helped aretha franklin soar to fame and became an anthem for the women’s rights movement. but radio royalties for the song went to its writer, otis redding. by ben sisario stephen k. bannon, the president’s former strategist, has another medium to take on the republican establishment. by maggie haberman the former football broadcaster is betting heavily that his family owned streaming site will be a hit with gamblers obeying “the guys in the desert.” by joe drape roger lynch, the chief of the video streaming service sling tv, will be the new chief executive and president of the struggling internet radio giant. by ben sisario once a pioneer in the streaming music business, pandora is facing stiff competition from spotify and apple music, among others. now it has turned to the satellite radio provider for help. by michael j. de la merced the company, which has struggled as a leader in streaming music, is exploring investments from the private equity firm as well as an unnamed “strategic investor.” by ben sisario weeks before his trial, bill cosby says in a radio interview that he will not testify and that racism may be partly behind the pursuit of him. by graham bowley after zumba class, the harlem resident will do brunch with friends and then visit her parents, often taking them cake or pie from sylvia’s. by john leland the 1960s band filed three lawsuits against the satellite radio company for playing its songs recorded before 1972 without permission. by ben sisario scattered among the gleefully vulgar mainstays are now intimate exchanges that have made mr. stern one of the most deft interviewers in the business. by david segal

ah, the rigors of fan fair week in nashville. radney foster joined in the fray this year to promote "are you ready for the big show?," an album of old and new material recorded live at the continental club in austin. "it's exhausting," foster says of music city's annual event, but after driving home on the highway past "guys layin' asphalt in 90 degree weather," he decides "my job's not that bad." the rootsy, textured sound on foster's latest is the most current in a series of musical evolutions. the singer songwriter producer, who was half of eighties country rock duo foster & lloyd, recorded a couple of what he calls "attempts at mainstream country records"  "del rio, tx 1959" (with hits "just call me lonesome" and "nobody wins") and "labor of love"   in the early nineties. in 1998, foster released "see what you want to see," an introspective, mature pop album that was a dramatic shift from its country predecessors "borne out of the craziness of divorce" and "the joy of a new marriage," says foster. now, he's back with "big show" on the new dualtone label, again with a different sound. drawing on mandolin and acoustic bass, foster went for "a bluegrassy feel," but then went beyond that, adding a b 3 organ and slide guitar to create a sound that's more of a "bluesy... louisiana thing." foster has employed the help of an eclectic group of musicians on his most recent endeavor. chris thile, mandolin player for nickel creek, who opened for foster last year, appears on "big show." "i don't know what it's like to be 20 years old and the best mandolin player on the planet," foster says of the precocious musician. matt thompson of the thompson bros. plays a variety of found objects as "drums." also joining foster are jeff armstrong on the b 3, byron house on bass, mike mcadam on slide guitar and ashley arrison on vocals. the group puts new spins on old numbers and debuts five new tunes. "i get bored easily, and i have a very short attention span," foster jokes, when asked how his musical style has jumped from one classification to another, or sidestepped category altogether over the years. "i think the best artists have always evolved," he explains. they maintain, however, a "thread" that marks their music as distinctly theirs. "it's changed, but it's still the same guy," foster says. he also acknowledges the audience's expection of change from their favorite performers. the instrumentation on "big show" was a conscious effort at a fresh sound to keep both performer and audience interested. "i had an idea about it...that comes from being a producer," he explains. because the majority of the new album consists of previously recorded material and because it was recorded live, foster wanted to find a way to make the songs sound new, not like mere reproductions of studio takes. "my favorite live records always had some element of surprise...that excitement of being at a show," foster says. it's that very excitement he wished to capture when recording "big show"   that, and the freshness and immediacy that comes with blurring musical boundaries, something that's easier to do live than in the recording studio. foster points to the more poppy sound of foster & lloyd and the honky tonkness of his subsequent solo albums and notes, "in my shows i've always tried to bridge the gap betwen those diversities." he enjoys a range of styles, including rock, folk, country and "very roots oriented" music, and "live was me trying to pull it all together," he says. to prepare for the record, the band played five or six gigs in austin and "then recorded two nights at the continental club," foster says. he describes the club as "an austin institution" and "one of my favorite places to play in the whole wide world." he is also a fan of "shoeshine charlie" miller, the man who has introduced foster at the club since he was with lloyd. the album was titled for miller's standard introduction, "are you ready for the big show?" and the man himself shows up on the album to introduce foster to cd listeners. miller, like the club, is "an institution," in foster's view. recording in front of a texas audience was just as important as the venue for foster. "that's home," says the del rio native, "and my biggest following is down there." releasing a live album is, as foster readily admits, a "quicker way to get something back out to the fans" than recording an entire album in the studio. since radio stations are more reluctant to play live cuts, foster included two studio tracks on to increase airplay: "tonight," a live version of which opens the album, and the foster & lloyd tune "texas in 1880," a duet with fellow lone star state musician pat green. the latter has already charted in texas, which has given the album more attention than foster anticipated. "it looks like the darn thing's taken off," he says. not bad, for his first independent project. "i have complete artistic freedom to do exactly what i want to do," says foster. he refers not only to big show, but also any upcoming projects on his newly created label, purespunk.com. "i've never been on an independent label in my life until now," says the singer, who went straight to the majors when rca signed him and bill lloyd in 1986. "we scared the bejeezus out of those guys," foster says of the record executives he and lloyd played for. country music, he explained, "was in the tank at the time," so labels were taking chances and signing unconventional acts. foster recognizes that major labels   in his case, rca and later arista   "helped promote my career enough to help me do what i'm doing now," but once he considered the effort he was putting into projects and the profits they were getting out of them, "it got to a point where i said, 'wait a minute: i have enough of an audience'" to go it alone. "they make more than 99 percent of the money," foster says, without exaggeration, of major record labels. he uses del rio, tx 1959 as an example: the album sold 450,000 copies, and had "gross receipts of over $4 million," but less than one percent of that went to foster. "when you look at it that way, that's not a fair deal," he concludes. foster was approached by a label he did not name   "they look like an independent, but it's all sony's money" (can anyone say lucky dog?)   to cut a deal for "big show," but he wasn't interested in the standard contract. dualtone, the independent label that ended up promoting and marketing the new album, also approached foster with a record deal originally, but foster wanted an arrangement where he had control over his work and owned his songs. foster had the label and the studio knowhow to produce an album; he did not, however, have the wherewithal to promote it, nor the funds to hire an outside promoter, so he offered dualtone a deal of his own: that he keep the rights to the album, but they market it for a share of the profits. they agreed. "i had known those guys from when they were at arista and had seen them be hamstrung by the powers that be," foster says of the former arista employees scott robinson and dan herrington, who formed dualtone. "it was nuts, and it really hurt those guys ability to do things." the symbiotic relationship that resulted seems ideal for foster, who thinks dualtone's owners "really get it" when it comes to producing and marketing music. foster also has his own label going. as the label name (purespunk.com) suggests, foster and his wife, music journalist cyndi hoelzle, have created a website that "is integral to the record company." purespunk.com has "only been up since february," foster says, but it's had "over a half million hits." the website "is a way to give something back to the fans," he explains, as well as a way to generate profit for his new record company. the site part webzine, part store features columns like "coolest gigs in america" and "10 questions," an artist interview. there are also features on roots and alt. country musicians (not coincidentally, a story on nickel creek is currently featured), and album reviews. the site is funded in part by amazon.com, where the reader can purchase reviewed albums. the song of the month club highlights a new recording by foster to download each month. "i think there's a niche of a lot of americana, triple a, and alt. country" listeners, says foster, a "like minded circle of roots musicians" that is being underserved, in his opinion. "the mainstream media is not paying a lot of attention to (that kind of music)," he says, and he hopes purespunk.com will serve the audience for it." and the trend toward artist autonomy is apparent. "i think it's a direction all music's headed in," says foster, who points to aimee mann, the cowboy junkies and john prine as artists who are masters of their own projects. "all of a sudden, the artist has control and much more profitability."

photo courtesy of canadian songwriters hall of fame interview sixteen time grammy winning musician, composer/arranger and producer david foster was recently inducted into the canadian songwriter’s hall of fame. before being feted by his peers, foster spoke with grammy.com about his career defining hits. david foster was born in victoria, british columbia. the son of a blue collar worker and homemaker, foster started playing   and studying   piano at age four. one morning his mom was dusting the family piano when she hit a key by accident and david said, "that's an e!" naming the correct note. "it sounds cliché, but it's true," says the 72 year old, reflecting on a life spent searching for the right notes. "when i go to the doctor's office, still to this day, when they ask me my occupation, i always reply musician." after studying music at the university of washington at 13, the prodigy moved to edmonton, alberta where he led a nightclub band in a joint owned by jazz piano player and arranger tommy banks. the impresario took foster under his wing and encouraged the teenager to write. "as a songwriter, i bloomed late," foster says. "in my early 20s i wrote some songs and some got recorded, but looking back they were just awful." thanks to banks' tutelage on the art of arranging   and the hard work of gigging in bands throughout the early to mid 1970s   foster's songs kept getting better. in his cshf acceptance speech, foster shared some simple advice another mentor, quincy jones, once gave: "the three ingredients to a hit record are: the song, the song and the song." as a keyboardist during this early chapter of his career, foster kept searching for those key ingredients. he played on a pair of george harrison records (extra texture and thirty three & 1/3) and also lent overdubbed piano to lynyrd skynyrd's third studio album nuthin' fancy (1975). one of his early production credits was alice cooper's fourth studio record from the inside. the 1978 concept album chronicled cooper's time inside a new york sanatorium during a rehab stint for alcoholism. reflecting back, foster says this project was not one of his best. "i don't think that album holds up. not because of alice, but more due to my ineptness at producing that kind of music. i believe i took him a little too far to my side," he recalls. "still, i loved making that record. the same goes for the tubes, who i co wrote 'she's a beauty,' with. they were so inventive and creative. "most people, who know me, know that when i lay my hands on the keys what comes back is not rock 'n roll," he adds. "even though rock is not what i'm known for producing, i listen to all kinds of music." foster admits during his prime production years he rarely listened to music for fear he might unintentionally copy something he heard on the radio. these days, he has rediscovered the joy of listening for pleasure. some music foster is currently digging includes big thief and miles davis. as the decade came to a close, the first major milestone for the songwriter turned producer   and first grammy   came after co writing the song, "after the love has gone." four decades later, the 16 time grammy winner was inducted into canadian songwriter's hall of fame (cshf) along with bryan adams, jim vallance, alanis morissette and daniel lavoie, became the five newest inductees into the canadian songwriter's hall of fame (cshf). before being feted by his peers, the legendary musician, composer/arranger and producer, took time to chat about career defining moments   the hits and the misses   along with the joys of touring the the kat & dave show. "after the love has gone," the top track off earth, wind & fire's 1979 album i am, peaked at no. 2 on both the billboard hot 100 and hot r&b charts. the song was nominated for three grammy awards: record of the year, song of theyear and best r&b vocal performance by a duo or group   winning the grammy in this category; foster also won his first grammy (best r&b song) for this co write. the beautiful ballad became the winning formula and sound foster became known for throughout the 1980s. "i wrote 'after the love has gone' with my friends bill champlin and jay graydon," foster recalls. "i took the song to another friend, carole childs, who introduced me to earth, wind & fire's leader maurice white. he loved the song and wanted to record it. this led to me co writing with maurice most of the songs on i am. he was another mentor." foster's admiration for the band remains to this day. "i love earth, wind & fire so much. every r&b band and artist all the way up to drake owes a debt to maurice white and his band. there are so many genres hidden in their music: from rock to jazz; r&b to country." during the early to mid 1980s, foster collaborated with jazz rock band chicago on three albums: chicago 16, chicago 17 and chicago 18. the producer arrived at a time when the band was in flux. columbia had dropped them after underwhelming sales and they had recently signed with warner bros. chicago 16 was the band's comeback and included the power ballad: "hard to say i'm sorry." foster co wrote the no.1 hit with chicago's singer/bassist peter cetera. "anytime you are working with a band it is difficult. chicago had seven very powerful members and they all had an opinion on what they thought should go on their records," foster says. "to get the best results in the studio, it can't be a democracy. that is why a producer is there … to say 'yes' to this and 'no' to that. even a band as famous as chicago needs direction. "they didn't believe in all the decisions i made and they struggled with me, but they appreciated the success we had," he continues. "over the years, slowly, i've talked to all the guys. they've reflected and grown and we are now good." the trio of chicago albums was also great for foster professionally, as a songwriter. a successful writing partnership was formed with peter cetera. the pair went on to write "you're the inspiration" for chicago 17. the 1984 album was nominated for three grammy awards and foster won producer of the year, non classical and best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocal (s). this was cetera's last record with the band. despite chicago's commercial success in the 1980s, cetera and foster's close knit relationship was one of the reasons the rest of the band were not happy during this period. "they had lost their way," recalls foster. "i did my best to remind them of their greatness and try to recapture some of the magic of their early albums in the 1970s; these were phenomenal records when they had the tiger by the tail and were running on all eight cylinders." foster worked with whitney houston on the bodyguard soundtrack   taking the dolly parton penned "i will always love you" and making it into a grammy winning hit. in their first collaboration, foster chose to include the third verse to the song   which had not made it into linda ronstadt's 1975 cover   after parton herself pointed out that she would love to hear it. in a 2013 interview remembering houston one year after her death, foster spoke of how much he loved working with her because she always surprised him and brought something different to every recording. "ninety nine percentof the time whitney gave me something better than what i asked for," he said. this ballad topped the billboard charts in 1993 and remained there for four weeks. in the documentary david foster: off the record, the producer recalls the first time he saw céline dion. after getting a tip about the young singer, who was already a star in her province, foster flew to montreal and then drove 100 miles in the rain to hear céline perform in a tent in rural quebec. her voice hit him immediately and foster ended up producing her english language debut, unison (1990). he is credited with bringing her music to an audience outside the francophone world. "céline's the best singer i've ever worked with," foster says of the five time grammy winner, with whom he notched another one of his 16 golden gramophones for falling into you (1986). "she was also incredible at taking direction. she knew her job, which was to sing. when it came to everything else, she just let others take care of it. céline was the perfect artist. she had opinions, but she would try anything asked of her and that was golden." another fortuitous canadian discovery was michael buble, whom foster first heard at a wedding when the unknown singer delivered an original version of the oft covered popular standard "mack the knife." as with his first listen of céline, foster heard something in bublé's delivery. eventually, the pair convened in los angeles to record. the crooner's self titled debut arrived in 2003 on foster's label 143 records and cracked the top 10 in canada. the following year, bublé won new artist of the year at the junos [canada's equivalent to the grammy awards]. from there, the rise to stardom for the artist was steady. it's time, his fourth studio album was released in 2005 and reached no.1 in canada, italy and japan; it also spent 104 weeks on billboard top jazz chart, including a record breaking 78 weeks at no.1. it's time featured bublé's first megahit, "home." the original song, co written with foster's daughter amy foster gillies, won the juno for single of the year and went to no.1 in 10 countries. while bob rock produced it's time, foster was heavily involved in overseeing his young protégé and arranging many of the songs. after spending 40 years in what he calls "dark studios," foster decided to take a hiatus from the producer's chair and return to his first love of playing piano and performing. currently, foster is on tour with his wife, singer, songwriter and actress, katherine mcphee. "i love performing live," he says. "for so many years i was in a submarine environment: air tight studios with no windows. i would make a record and then whoever i was working with, they would get to leave the studio and go out into the world and play these songs we had written and recorded and see the reaction from people. i never got to experience that. now i do." before hanging up, foster reveals he is returning to the studio with chris botti, to help produce a live album for the former trumpeter in sting's band. "he's just phenomenal!" foster says describing his admiration for botti. "chris called me late one night and pleaded with me to produce for him. 'all i need you to do is come in for one week,' he said. 'i want to make a live album.' i thought, one week sounds like fun … and, i want to win another grammy!" 5 essential d'mile productions: silk sonic, h.e.r. & others photo: stacie huckeba interview steve cropper reflects on his decades long career, his 2025 grammy nomination for best contemporary blues album and the enduring influence of stax records. the 2025 grammys, officially known as the 67th grammy awards, will air live on cbs and paramount+ on sunday, feb. 2. watch highlights from the 2025 grammys on live.grammy.com. the 2025 grammys telecast will be reimagined to raise funds to support wildfire relief efforts and aid music professionals impacted by the wildfires in los angeles. donate to the recording academy's and musicares' los angeles fire relief effort to support music professionals. editor’s note: this interview was conducted before the onset of the wildfires in los angeles. steve cropper is still "selling energy"   putting forth what a younger generation might call blues rock "vibes" with his pals as if it were still 1970. this ethos dates back to his time at the legendary memphis label stax records, where cropper served as a songwriter, producer, engineer and a&r. crucially, cropper was the guitarist in stax's house band, booker t. & the mgs   they of "green onions" fame   and backed artists including otis redding, wilson pickett, sam & dave, and carla thomas. among his many bonafides, cropper co wrote redding's "(sittin’ on) the dock of the bay." in his post stax years, the two time grammy winner and nine time nominee produced and played on sessions with jeff beck, jose feliciano, john prine, john cougar, and tower of power. he later joined levon helm’s rco all stars group and was among the original members in dan aykroyd and john belushi's blues brothers band. cropper resumed his solo career in the '80s, releasing several albums, while continuing to collaborate with leading lights like paul simon, ringo starr, elton john and steppenwolf. steve cropper has stayed true to himself for over seven decades, thanks in no small part to advice from stax founder jim stewart. "he said, 'just play yourself and if they don't like it, they'll tell you,'" cropper tells grammy.com. "so i've been playing myself all my life and it's worked out. that's pretty cool." at the 2025 grammys, cropper is nominated in the best contemporary blues album category for the aptly named friendlytown, recorded with a mix of long time collaborators and a few newer faces, together billed as steve cropper & the midnight hour. friendlytown's 13 tracks are familiar, digestible and straight ahead rockin'   the kind of tunes you'd be thrilled to hear in a local dive. featuring zz top's billy gibbons, queen guitarist brian may, singer roger c reale, and guitarist tim montana, cropper co wrote and co produced all of friendlytown with bassist jon tiven. "steve's guitar playing on the song 'hurry up sundown' is probably some of his best solo work and rhythm work," tiven says. "it's amazing that at this point in his career, he could still be creating some of the greatest music of his life. i think that's a wonderful testament to the strength of his talent." there was very little methodical music making behind friendlytown, which partially grew out of sessions cropper put together for his 2021 album fire it up. "this record was just about a bunch of guys getting together and having some fun. it's just like, let's have a blast and try to make the party come to the record, rather than the record come to the party," tiven notes. cropper and tiven had been working on songs for years with the hopes of finding friendly musicians to give them life. while some found homes, the duo sat on instrumentals for years   until tiven ran into billy gibbons at trader joe's. when tiven told the sharp dressed man he was making a record with steve cropper, "he just lit up like a firecracker and said he'd like to bring us a song. i said, 'well, it's only going on the record unless you play on it.' and he said, 'well, that could be arranged.'" gibbons ended up on 11 tracks; friendlytown marks the first time he and cropper worked together in many years. the zz top vocalist's influence is audible on the album, particularly the title track and eliminator esque "lay it on down." while casual may be the name of cropper's game these days, "it definitely wasn't 35, 40 years ago," he says. back then (and largely before, as cropper left the label in 1970), making music was "was very serious, and i don't even think the guys had a good time." with a laugh, cropper recalls his best friend, the stax bassist/mg duck dunn, pining for a world in which "jim stewart would've only smiled every now and then." while cropper calls stewart "the greatest guy i've ever met," the label head was known to be critical. "he knew if you fought for something, like a song, that it was a good song. and if you didn't fight for it, it wasn't worth nothing," cropper says, chuckling. "he was right. i think about that all the time, but i don't use it. a songwriter could tell me how good a song they wrote is, but if i don't like it, i don't like it. i'm sorry!. i'm sure i've thrown away some good ones before." read more: 1968: a year of change for the world, memphis & stax records a young cropper put up a couple of fights, and for good reason. he recalls stumping for wilson pickett's "ninety nine and a half": [jim stewart said] "you boys was out there woodsheddin’. that song ain't going to make it." cropper pressed it, and stewart relented. the track made the cut for pickett's 1966 album the exciting wilson pickett. another big stax hit stayed on the shelf for nine months while cropper and co. battled it out with stax brass. "finally al bell went to jim and said, 'you got to put this record out. it's called ‘knock on wood.' and jim says, 'okay, but you got to use your own money,'" cropper says. "he hated that record until it was a hit." reflecting on the hardest song he's ever played, cropper quickly points to sam and dave's "soul man." but the 1967 smash isn't difficult for the reasons you might think: the guitarist had to balance a zippo lighter on his leg during sessions and performances, which he used to mimic the song's opening horn line. "i always had to dance [when recording] with sam and dave, because they could hit a groove. a lot of guitar players don't know that i played with a zippo lighter and i'd slide it," he recalls. cropper reportedly hated the sound and feel of new guitar strings   something, he says, is no longer the case in old age   and in a lip smacking good tidbit of studio lore, explained how he managed his unique sound. "i carry a thing of chapstick all the time and i would go up and down the strings; [that would] take about three months out of the string so it would sound like the rest of them." after decades in the business, it seems as if cropper   though ever a professional   doesn't take himself or the creative process too seriously. he jokingly shares a reccolation from a studio session during his stax years: once the session was finished, cropper told the group "damn, this sounds like a hit." "and al jackson said, 'steve, they're all hits until they're released.' he's probably right." one of stax's reliable hitmakers was a close friend of cropper's: otis redding. the two shared a deep musical bond and some shared history. both musicians grew up on farms ("by the time i was 14, i was ready to leave the home. by the time i was 16, i was gone in my mind," cropper notes) yet the guitarist describes redding as "most streetwise person that i ever met. i think he just had it. it came natural to him." redding played guitar with one finger and you "never argued with otis"   especially because he was never available for sessions for more than a day or two. most otis redding albums, as a result, were compilations from different sessions. "i remember we cut 'i can't turn you loose' in 10 minutes," cropper says. "[when we recorded] otis blue, we had everybody come back at 1 [a.m.]    after they did their gig and they went home and had their shower   so we could cut it." cropper knew that "(sittin' on) the dock of the bay"   arguably redding's biggest hit, and cropper's first grammy win   was a hit. "you know why i knew it was a hit? because we had otis the longest i'd had him; for two weeks." the gentle lull of "sittin'" was a radical departure from redding's southern soul bombast, and perhaps a sign of what was to come if the singer hadn't died tragically in a plane crash. "that one song, we searched for a long time. we call it crossover music; so it could go either way:, r&b, pop, whatever. that was the first one we ever had," cropper says. steve cropper is still going strong at 83 years old. he reports that he enjoyed hbo's recent stax records docuseries, and has an unfinished instrumentals album in the can. he hasn't time for regrets, only dreams, but the name of the one person cropper wishes he had worked with fires off like lightning: tina tuner. cropper saw the late legend three times. "i really did admire tina. she was the closest person to otis, i think, in the business. it's the yeller, screamer, but everybody loves their music. she was so good, it didn't matter how it was she's yelling and screaming," he says. tina turner's loudest albums still have melody and something "people will walk away humming"   the very thing cropper loved about stax records. "we were selling groove and all, rather than the music," cropper says of his work with the mgs. "we don't care about the music. we just cared about melody and what's in the simplicity of the song." 2025 grammys: see the full winners & nominees list watch performances & highlights from the 2025 grammys on live.grammy.com 2025 grammys: beyoncé wins first album of the year award for 'cowboy carter' kendrick lamar sweeps the 2025 grammys with song of the year win 2025 grammys: chappell roan wins best new artist, calls on labels to do better sabrina carpenter celebrates her 2025 grammys wins with a performance of "espresso" & "please please please" 2025 grammys: the weeknd makes triumphant return to grammy stage 2025 grammys: lady gaga & bruno mars perform "california dreamin'" 2025 grammys: chappell roan sings "pink pony club" in colorful, clowning debut performance charli xcx brings 'brat' to the 2025 grammys with a performance of "von dutch" & "guess" 2025 grammys: kendrick lamar dedicates record of the year win to los angeles 2025 grammys: shakira performs a belly dance filled medley of "ojos asi" & "bzrp sessions" 2025 grammys: best new artist nominees doechii, benson boone & more showcase their remarkable talent watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full: kacey musgraves, muni long, mustard, anderson .paak, wayne brady & more beyoncé becomes first black woman to win grammy for best country album with 'cowboy carter' watch coldplay's chris martin with grace bowers perform "all my love" in a moving in memoriam tribute | 2025 grammys performance 2025 grammys in memoriam: recording academy remembers the music people we've lost 2025 grammys: alicia keys delivers a powerful call to action after receiving dr. dre global impact award 2025 grammys: quincy jones honored with star studded tribute featuring stevie wonder, janelle monáe & others watch doechii win best rap album for alligator bites never heal | 2025 grammys acceptance speech watch shakira win best latin pop album for best latin pop album | 2025 grammys acceptance speech watch sza talk about super bowl lix halftime show, "saturn" winning best r&b song & silent retreat lessons | 2025 grammys backstage interview watch the grammys pay tribute to first responders & hear the from the lafd fire chief | 2025 grammys acceptance speech cyndi lauper photo: chris delmas/afp/getty images list tired of the same old christmas classics? this playlist of outside the box christmas songs is filled with fresh aural holiday cheer editor's note: this article was updated with a new photo and youtube videos on dec. 16, 2024. when it comes to holiday music, you can never go wrong with the tried and true classics. who doesn't love nat "king" cole's "the christmas song," elvis presley's "blue christmas," mariah carey's "all i want for christmas is you," charles m. schulz's grammy nominated a charlie brown christmas soundtrack, or any new version of a festive favorite?even so, it's always good to get out of one's comfort zone. with that in mind, unwrap these 12 outside the box christmas songs, spanning rock to rap and featuring everything from refreshing spins on the familiar to unexpected holiday thrills. read more: new christmas songs for 2024: listen to 50 tracks from pentatonix, ed sheeran, lisa & more this firsthand account of spending the most joyous holiday locked up and separated from the one you love offers a different kind of longing than the average lonesome christmas tune. in signature john prine style, "christmas in prison" contains plenty of romantic wit ("i dream of her always, even when i don't dream) and comedic hyperbole ("her heart is as big as this whole goddamn jail"), with plenty of pining and hope to spare. "christmas in prison" appeared on prine's third album, 1973's sweet revenge, and again as a live version on his 1994 album, a john prine christmas, which makes for perfect further off beat holiday exploration. when it comes to gloriously tasty six string instrumentals, no one does it better than grammy winning texan eric johnson. for his take on this timeless christmas carol, the "cliffs of dover" guitarist intermingles acoustic based lines, sublime clean guitar passages and hendrix y double stops with his trademark creamy violin like strat lines. the result is a sonic equivalent on par with the majesty of the rockefeller christmas tree. (for more dazzling holiday guitar tomfoolery, look into the album it's featured on, 1997's merry axemas.) who doesn't want a large semiaquatic mammal for the holidays? for then 10 year old child star gayla peevey, not only did she score with the catchy tune, she also got her wish. the 1953 novelty hit, written by john rox, rocketed up the pop charts and led to a fundraising campaign to buy peevey an actual hippo for christmas. children donated their dimes to the cause, and the oklahoma city native got her hippo, named mathilda, which she donated to the oklahoma city zoo. the song itself features plodding brass instrumentals and unforgettable lyrics such as, "mom says a hippo would eat me up but then/ teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian." it seems peevey still has a fond legacy with the hippo activist community   she was on hand in 2017 when the oklahoma city zoo acquired a pygmy hippopotamus. in a contemplative mood this christmas? try getting into the holiday spirit by way of meditating on the true meaning of the season with this brash, uptempo southern california crust punk tune. now the best known song from the vandals' 1996 christmas album of the same name, "oi to the world!" remained a relatively obscure track by the huntington beach punkers until it was covered by a rising pop/ska crossover band from nearby anaheim, calif., in 1997. (perhaps you have heard of them   they were called no doubt.) ever since, the song has been a mainstay of the vandals' live sets, and they have also played the album oi to the world! in its entirety every year since its release at their annual winter formal show in anaheim, now in its 29th year. though it's best known from outkast's 1994 debut album, southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, the christmas version of the track "player's ball" was released earlier on a laface family christmas, an l.a. reid led project to introduce new acts. the then young atlanta rapper duo took a southern hip hop spin on the season, which can come across as a little irreverent, but at least they're honest: "ain't no chimneys in the ghetto so i won't be hangin' my socks on no chimneys." though some people may not find it cheerful, outkast's season's greetings give "a little somethin' for the players out there hustlin'." you'd be hard pressed to find a more heartbreaking christmas story than this tom waits' masterpiece from 1978's blue valentine. "charlie, i'm pregnant and living on 9th street," begins the christmas card narrative in which a woman writes to an old flame, reporting how much better things are going since she quit drugs and alcohol and found a trombone playing husband. waits' signature early career piano plinking and tall tale storytelling weaves through a dream world of hair grease and used car lots, even sneaking in a little anthony and the imperials reference. in the end, our narrator comes clean with the sobering lyric, "i don't have a husband, he don't play the trombone" before pleading, "i need to borrow money to pay this lawyer and charlie hey, i'll be eligible for parole come valentine's day." for the uninitiated, this is the off beat genius of grammy winner waits at his finest. though they took some lumps in their '80s hair metal heyday, few would dare deny winger's talent and musicianship. surely on display here, frontman kip winger (a grammy nominated classical musician) and his bandmates begin with a traditional unplugged reading of the franz xaver gruber penned holiday chestnut, complete with four part harmony. but then it gets really interesting: the boys get "funky" with an inside out musical pivot that fuses percussive rhythmic accents, pentatonic based acoustic riffing, winger's gravely vocals, and some choice bluesy soloing (and high pitched vocal responses) courtesy of lead guitarist reb beach. with lyrics that include "i know i should have thought twice before i kissed her" in the opening, you know you're in for a sleigh ride like none other. it's therefore no surprise that cyndi lauper and swedish rock band the hives' unconventional christmas duel describes many marital hiccups that might make some blush. yet, the raucous duet somehow comes out on a high note, concluding, "we should both just be glad/and spend this christmas together." the 2008 track was the brainchild of the hives, who always wanted to do a song with lauper. "this is a christmas song whose eggnog has been spiked with acid, and whose definition of holiday cheer comes with a complimentary kick below the belt," wrote huffington post in 2013. "it's also an absolute riot." leave it to lcd soundsystem's producer/frontman james murphy to pen a holiday song about the depressing side of the season. "if your world is feeling small/ there's no one on the phone/ you feel close enough to call," he sings, tapping into that seasonal weirdness that can creep up, especially as everything around you is incessant smiles, warmth and cheer, and pumpkin spice lattes. while he doesn't shy away from examining the depressing side of surviving the holiday season as an aging 20 , 30 , 40 something, murphy does at least give a glimmer of hope to grab onto, transient and fleeting though it may be, as he refrains, "but i'm still coming home to you." as snoop dogg declares, "it's christmas time and my rhyme's steady bumpin'." this track from the 1996 album christmas on death row lets you know why "santa claus goes straight to the ghetto." church food, love between people, and happiness stand out as christmas is "time to get together and give all you got; you got food, good moods and what's better than together with your people." love in the hard hood might have to watch itself, but the various artists of death row contagiously testify to abundant love and seasonal joy. bypassing the urge to write new material on their rocking christmas album, 2006's a twisted christmas, twister sister instead took the most recognizable holiday classics in the book and made them faster, louder and more aggressive. the result   which, to date, equate to the group's seventh and final album   is a supercharged concept collection of songs such as "silver bells," "have yourself a merry little christmas" and "deck the halls" bludgeoned by chainsaw guitar riffs, thundering drums and lead singer dee snider's soaring screams. this unusual combination makes a twisted christmas the perfect soundtrack for any child of the '80s still hoping to tick off the neighbors this holiday season. in anticipation of the 2025 nba all star game in san francisco, p lo breathes new life into t.w.d.y.'s classic "players holiday." featuring saweetie, larry june, kamaiyah, larussell, g eazy, thuy, and ymtk, the track celebrates bay area culture with its infectious energy and hometown pride. with its dynamic lineup and energetic vibe, "players holiday '25" is a love letter to the region's sound and legacy that bridges hip hop and basketball culture. this article features contributions from nate hertweck, tim mcphate, renée fabian, brian haack, philip merrill, nina frazer and taylor weatherby. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: rob verhorst/redferns list from dido's "thank you" and william devaugh's classic reminding you to be thankful for what you've got, this playlist highlights songs that give thanks for everything from the clothes on your back to the friends in your life. thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season, which is often a time of reflection. there's much music befitting this time of year, much of which isn't holiday specific. songs tackling this theme   whether about gratitude for love, for platonic relationships, or for life's gifts   have a long history in pop music. through these songs, we’re reminded of our own journeys and the common ground we share with others, building a collective sense of empathy and understanding. as a result, their messages become timeless; their themes fit for any time of year. and while there are plenty of thanksgiving specific works out there   here's looking at you "stretchy pants" and "do the mashed potatoes"   the following playlist leans into the myriad and everyday ways we give thanks. before you "turkey trot" over to your holiday table, here are some songs that capture the spirit of love, gratitude, and self reflection. alanis morissette   "thank u" (1998) alanis morissette reflects and expresses gratitude for the challenging moments that have shaped her. the song's lyrics imbue listeners with a sense of peace among life’s hardships: "how 'bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out?/how 'bout not equating death with stopping?" morissette's lyrical vulnerability was likely due in part to the challenges during her teen years, including an eating disorder. as a musician, she continued to write frankly about heartbreak and identity   themes which resonate with generations of fans. she continues to be grateful for the healing power of music, the support of her fans, and the journey of self discovery that has allowed her to grow personally and artistically. rita ora   "grateful" (2014) this ballad from the 2014 film beyond the lights highlights the importance of being thankful for the obstacles that lead to personal growth. ora’s soaring vocals are filled with sincerity and heart. written by diane warren, the song reminds us that the struggles we face can ultimately shape us into stronger, more compassionate individuals. “i'm grateful for the storm/made me appreciate the sun/ i'm grateful for the wrong ones/made me appreciate the right ones." one particularly potent line notes, "i'm thankful for all my scars/'cause they only make my heart." natalie merchant   "kind and generous" (1998) a timeless, smooth tribute to someone who has been kind and giving, this song radiates gratitude with a chorus that invites everyone to say "thank you." merchant never revealed if the song is about any one individual, and as a result it is broadly relatable. as a matter of fact, some refer to it as the "thank you" song, even though its title is "kind and generous." dido   "thank you" (2000) this tender, honest classic conveys gratitude for someone who has a grounding presence in dido’s life. with gentle vocals and a mellow beat, the song is a reminder of the restorative power of human connection. "the morning rain clouds up my window/ and i can't see at all/and even if i could, it'd all be gray," dido sings in the song's opening verse. "but your picture on my wall/it reminds me that it's not so bad." "thank you" was sampled in part for eminem’s “stan,” demonstrating the song's impact across diverse genres. eminem's titular character is an obsessive fan who takes eminem’s lyrics literally, causing stan to go into a harmful depression. while the relationship to dido’s original song is different, eminem’s figurative stan spends a good chunk of time reflecting on how important the rapper is to him. by the end of the song, eminem realizes how, in relationships, gratitude can be vital. chance the rapper   "blessings" (2016) chance’s gospel tinged anthem from the album coloring book is an ode to the blessings in his life. the song emphasizes gratitude and the importance of recognizing the good in life, even amidst hardship. the lyrics reference god and faith while celebrating chance’s spirituality and showing appreciation for the strength it provides. abba   “thank you for the music” (1978) swedish pop group abba give thanks for the gift of song, reflecting on the way music nourishes our existence as artists and fans. written by benny andersson and björn ulvaeus, it's a personal anthem and a universal hymn to song: "thank you for the music, the songs i'm singing/thanks for all the joy they're bringing/who can live without it, i ask in all honesty/what would life be?" the band wonders. onerepublic   "good life" (2010) in "good life," onerepublic revel in living in the moment and loving the beauty of life, even when things don't go according to plan. the lyrics describe the ups and downs of touring, while reflecting on the importance of appreciating the simple things. the refrain "oh, this has gotta be the good life" acknowledges life's blessings, while "i feel like there might be something that i’ll miss" reminds us to appreciate what we have now before it’s gone. mahalia   "grateful" (2019) on this soulful, mellow track, british r&b singer mahalia reflects on her journey and expresses gratitude for love and the experiences that come with it. through lyrics like "if i never had to cry, i would never learn to fight" and "i needed to fall so i could get stronger," mahalia acknowledges that her challenges were essential to her development and strength. mahalia also expresses deep appreciation for the support systems that guided her, as she recalls praying for better days and trusting that someone would help light the way.\ kelly clarkson   "thankful" (2003) the title track of her debut album, this heartfelt expression of gratitude sings the praises of someone who has been a rock in kelly clarkson's life. the track is uplifting and feel good   an appropriate vibe for such appreciation. lyrics “that i'm thankful/for the blessing/and the lessons that i've learned with you/by my side” encapsulate clarkson's heartfelt gratitude for the love, support, and personal growth she has experienced through a meaningful relationship. earth, wind & fire   "gratitude" (1975) this classic funky tune expresses deep appreciation and positive vibes with the perfect blend of groove and heartwarming thanks. the band members have often shown gratitude for their ability to bring people together, regardless of background, through their songs such as "shining star" and "that's the way of the world." these lyrics convey gratitude by recognizing the gifts of love, peace, freedom, and divine intervention with a gospel influenced refrain. "open up your heart, let your body find/freedom in your stride, love and peace of mind, yeah/one more time and we got to say/that the good lord gonna make a way/gonna make a way, gonna make a way." william devaughn   “be thankful for what you got” (1974) r&b singer william devaughn's classic encourages reflection on life's simple blessings, focusing on inner fulfillment over external wealth. by promoting a humble mindset   "though you may not drive a great big cadillac/gangsta whitewalls/tv antennas in the back/you may not have a car at all/but remember brothers and sisters/you can still stand tall/just be thankful for what you've got"   the song teaches that true happiness comes from within. a song that has been covered many times over, "be thankful" is not only a catchy reminder to do just that, but a working class anthem that champions self worth. ariana grande   “thank u, next” (2019) ariana grande has had a lifetime of relationships to learn from, and expresses gratitude for past relationships and the lessons they taught her on this bop. rather than focusing on bitterness or regret, “thank u, next” is part kiss off and part positive embrace: "look what i got/look at what you taught me/and for that, i say/thank you, next." grande is spending more time with her friends and even met someone new; but nothing good comes without acknowledging how every relationship contributed to her resilience, self awareness, and maturity. boyz ii men   "thank you" (1994) this r&b track from their grammy winning album ii, acknowledges the people who lift us up when things are gloomy. this feel good song not only showcases boyz ii men's vocal talent but also spreads positivity, encouraging us all to recognize and cherish the people who make a difference in our lives. the lyrics are both earnest and direct: "all through my life/i knew that you'd be my world/knowing everywhere i go/things you taught me, they would show/so many times and changes/you've seen me through/i sure 'nough wouldn't have survived without you." sam & dave   "i thank you" (1968) a classic in soul music, this track is a high energy appreciation song, thanking a lover for bringing joy and happiness. its infectious groove and repetitive verses ("you didn't have to love me," "you didn't have to squeeze me," "you didn't have to hold me like you did," the duo belts) has kept it timeless across generations. celine dion   "thankful" (2013) in this ballad, celine dion thanks the people who supported her through her journey with her signature vocal bombast. "i'm thankful to be here, thankful to feel clear/thankful my prayers have been answered" capture the grammy winner's deep sense of gratitudes. she further reflects on the support and love she’s received with lines like "i'm thankful you listened, thankful to heaven, thankful for feeling alive again." the lyrics highlight the resilience she's drawn from her loved ones and the unbreakable bonds that have shaped her life and career.carrie underwood   "thank god for hometowns" (2012) carrie underwood pays tribute to the grounding force of small town life, reminding listeners to be grateful for the roots that keep them steady through life’s trials. the lyrics "thank god for hometowns/and all the love that makes you go round/thank god for the country lines that welcome you back in" define a sense of belonging and acknowledge the tight knit support of a community. the song in its entirety is an expression of thankfulness for the grounding that home provides, symbolizing the comforting feeling of returning to a familiar, safe place. bing crosby   "count your blessings instead of sheep" (1952) a holiday classic that has transcended its seasonal label, this song gently reminds us to practice gratitude and center our attention on the blessings in our lives, no matter how small. lyrics "when i'm worried, and i can't sleep/ i count my blessings instead of sheep" encourage listeners to shift their focus away from daily troubles. its message continues to resonate across generations, making it a go to track for anyone seeking solace. whitney houston   "my love is your love" (1998) the title track from whitney houston's fourth album, "my love is your love" showcases a message of unconditional love and gratitude for deep, lasting relationships. houston’s vocals are filled with sincerity, highlighting the power of love beyond material wealth: "if i lose my fame and fortune, and i'm homeless on the street, and i'm sleeping in grand central station/it's okay if you're sleeping with me." whitney expresses that she can endure any hardship by devoting her love to the partner that stands with her no matter what the circumstance. joni mitchell   "big yellow taxi" (1970) though a cautionary tale, this folk classic reminds us to appreciate what we have before it’s gone. joni mitchell’s poetic lyrics offer a bittersweet reflection on gratitude for the environment and life’s beauty. the lyric "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot" is a contrast, lamenting the loss of natural beauty and implying that humanity fails to appreciate the beauty in life until it's irreversibly altered. while talking in a broader sense about destroying nature, this song holds true even today as discussions take place regarding climate change. sly and the family stone   "thankful n' thoughtful" (1973) from sly and the family stone, this track leans more into reflection and being thankful for life’s experiences, both good and bad, with a funky backdrop. the funketeers have multiple songs about gratitude, including "everyday people," "life," and "thank you (falettinme be mice elf agin)." the uplifting messages in their songs show appreciation for life and unity while embodying the human experience. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: pglang list did you know kendrick lamar was discovered at just 16 years old? and why did he leave tde? grammy.com dives deep into some of the most popular questions surrounding the multi grammy winner. editor's note: this article was updated to include the latest information about kendrick lamar's 2024 album release 'gnx,' and up to date grammy wins and nominations with additional reporting by nina frazier. when the world crowns you the king of a genre as competitive as rap, your presence   and lack thereof   is palpable. after a five year hiatus, kendrick lamar declaratively stomped back on stage with his fifth studio album, mr. morale & the big steppers, to explain why the crown no longer fits him. two years later, lamar circles back to celebrate the west on 2024's gnx, a 12 track release that revels in the root of his love for hip hop and california culture, from the lowriders to the rappers that laid claim to the golden state. “my baby boo, you either heal n s or you kill n s/ both is true, it take some tough skin just to deal with you” lamar raps on "gloria" featuring sza, a track that opines on his relationship with the genre. the compton born rapper (who was born kendrick lamar duckworth) wasn't always championed as king kendrick. in hip hop, artists have to earn that moniker, and lamar's enthroning occurred in 2013 when he delivered a now infamous verse on big sean's "control." "i'm makaveli's offspring, i'm the king of new york, king of the coast; one hand i juggle 'em both," lamar raps before name dropping some of the top rappers of the time, from drake to j.cole. whether you've been a fan of lamar since before his crown snatching verse or you find yourself in need of a crash course on the 37 year old rapper's illustrious career, grammy.com answers nine questions that will paint the picture of lamar's more than decade long reign. due to the breakthrough success of his aftermath entertainment debut (good kid, m.a.a.d city), most people attribute kendrick lamar's discovery to fellow compton legend dr. dre. but seven years before dre's label came calling, anthony "top dawg" tiffith saw potential in a 16 year old rapper by the name of k.dot. lamar's first mixtape in 2004 was enough for tiffith's top dawg entertainment (tde) to offer the aspiring rapper a deal with the label in 2005. however, lamar would later learn that tiffith's impact on his life dates back to multiple encounters between his father and the tde founder, which lamar raps about in his 2017 track "duckworth." kendrick lamar has released six studio albums: section.80 (2011), good kid, m.a.a.d. city (2012), to pimp a butterfly (2015) damn. (2017),mr. morale & the big steppers (2022), and gnx (2024). good kid, m.a.a.d. city, to pimp a butterfly and damn. received both rap album of the year and album of the year grammy nominations. across the board, it's "humble." the 2017 track is lamar's only solo no. 1 on the billboard hot 100 (he also reached no. 1 status with taylor swift on their remix of her 1989 hit "bad blood"), and as of press time, "humble." is also his most streamed song on spotify and youtube. as of november 2024, kendrick lamar has won 17 grammys and has received 57 grammy nominations overall, solidifying his place as one of the most nominated artists in grammy history and the second most nominated rapper of all time, behind jay z. five of lamar's 17 grammy wins are tied to damn., which also earned lamar the status of becoming the first rapper ever to win a pulitzer prize. his most recent wins include three awards at the 2023 grammys, which included two for his album mr. morale & the big steppers, and best rap performance for "the hillbillies" with baby keem. he has two: rapper baby keem and former los angeles lakers star nick young are both cousins of his. lamar appeared on three tracks   "family ties," "range brothers" and "vent"   from keem's debut album, the melodic blue. keem then returned the favor for mr. morale & the big steppers, featuring on "savior (interlude)" and "savior" as well as receiving production and writing credits on "n95" and "die hard." read more: meet the first time grammy nominee: baby keem on inspiring rap's next generation, why "producer artists" are the best & the likelihood of a kendrick lamar collab album lamar can be seen sporting a crown of thorns on the mr. morale & the big steppers album cover. he has sported the look for multiple performances since the project's release. dave free described the striking headgear as, "a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens." holy symbolism and the blurred line between kings and gods are themes lamar revisits often on mr. morale & the big steppers. he uses lines like "kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior" and songs like "mirror" to reject the unforeseen, god like expectations that came with his king of hip hop status. according to vogue, the tiffany & co. designed crown features 8,000 cobblestone micro pave diamonds and took over 1,300 hours of work by four craftsmen to construct. after five albums, four mixtapes, one compilation project, an ep, and a grammy nominated black panther: the album, kendrick lamar and top dawg entertainment (tde) confirmed that mr. morale & the big steppers was the compton rapper's last project under the iconic west coast label. according to lamar, his departure was about growth as opposed to any internal troubles. "may the most high continue to use top dawg as a vessel for candid creators. as i continue to pursue my life's calling," lamar wrote on his website in august 2021. "there's beauty in completion." tde president punch expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with mic. "we watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man, a businessman, and one of the greatest artists of all time," he said. "so it's time to move on and try new things and venture out." before lamar's official exit from tde, he launched a new venture called pglang   a multi disciplinary service company for creators, co founded with longtime collaborator dave free   in 2020. the young company has already collaborated with cash app, converse and louis vuitton. yes, kendrick lamar performed in the halftime show for super bowl lvi in los angeles in 2022, alongside fellow rap legends dr. dre, snoop dogg and eminem, as well as r&b icon mary j. blige. anderson .paak and 50 cent also made special appearances during the star studded performance. as if performing at the super bowl in your home city wasn't enough, the compton rapper also got to watch his home team, the los angeles rams, hoist the lombardi trophy at the end of the night. three years after his first super bowl halftime performance, lamar will return to headline the super bowl lix halftime show on feb. 9, 2025   just one week after the 2025 grammys   at the caesars superdome in new orleans. yes. kendrick lamar is currently scheduled to hit the road with sza on the grand national tour beginning in may 2025. lamar concluded the big steppers tour in 2022, where he was joined by pglang artists baby keem and tanna leone. the tour included a four show homecoming at l.a.'s crypto.com arena in september 2022, followed by performances in europe,australia, and new zealand through late 2022. currently, there are no upcoming tour dates scheduled, but fans should check back for updates following the release of gnx. kendrick lamar wins best music video kendrick lamar wins best rap song kendrick lamar wins best rap performance doechii's sonic evolution: from rising alt hip hop anomaly to best rap album grammy winner doechii performs "catfish" & "denial is a river" recording academy membership grammys advocacy musicares latin grammys grammy museum @ 2025   recording academy. all rights reserved. some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the recording academy and its affiliates. responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the academy and its affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the recording academy and its affiliates.

foster the people is an american indie pop band formed in los angeles, california in 2009. its members include founder and frontman mark foster and keyboardist isom innis.[1][2] foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in los angeles as a struggling musician and working as a commercial jingle writer. after foster's song "pumped up kicks" became a viral success in 2010, the group received a record deal from startime international and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at music festivals. after releasing their debut album torches in may 2011, "pumped up kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid 2011 and eventually reached number three on the billboard hot 100.[3] the record also featured the singles "helena beat" and "houdini". the group received three grammy award nominations for torches and "pumped up kicks". after touring for two years in support of torches, foster the people released their second album, supermodel, in march 2014. it was preceded by the lead single "coming of age". in july 2017, the band released their third studio album, sacred hearts club, with the addition of isom innis and sean cimino, both former touring members, to the official lineup. from this album, their song "sit next to me" peaked at number 42 on the billboard hot 100 and was certified quadruple platinum by the riaa.[4] between 2018 and 2021, the band released a number of singles, two eps and one album reissue. a new single titled "lost in space" was released on may 31, 2024. their fourth album, paradise state of mind, was released on august 16, 2024, to mostly positive reviews. mark foster graduated from nordonia high school in the cleveland akron suburb of macedonia, ohio, in 2002. with his father's encouragement, foster moved in with his uncle in sylmar, los angeles, california to pursue a career in music. foster worked various jobs and at night, he attended parties in hollywood to expand his social network. he said, "i felt like an 18 year old hunter s. thompson. i was just diving into this hollywood hills subculture and taking it all in. i wasn't shy about taking my guitar out at a party. i wanted to be the center of attention."[5][6] foster struggled with drug addiction during his initial years in los angeles, saying, "it got pretty dark. my friends thought i was going to die. i was blind to it. when i was 19 years old, it got to a point where i said, 'enough is enough' ... i saw time was just passing me by. i wasn't being productive."[7] foster played in several bands, including one with which he auditioned for a record deal in new york.[8] after turning 22, he says he was contacted by aftermath entertainment about showcasing his musical talents, but the opportunity ultimately fell through. foster's first professional experience as a music artist was as lead vocalist on the 2006 song "breakdown" by the toques. for the next few years, foster waited tables at a cafe while dealing with writer's block, but he remained in los angeles after landing a job as a commercial jingle writer for mophonics in 2008.[5][9] he said of the profession, "i definitely learned from the commercial standpoint what works,"[7] and he credited it with reviving his confidence in performing.[5] the music foster wrote spanned a wide range of genres, but he had difficulty reconciling his eclectic compositions. he explained: "i'd write one song and it'd be a hip hop song. i'd write another and it'd be heavily electronic. another would be like a spiritual, and another would be classic piano song. i was constantly trying to pull those elements together. it took me six years to do it."[7] he still wished to be part of a group; reflecting on a residency he did at a venue performing electronic music, he said, "it was just me and a laptop. really, it was terrible. i knew i needed a band."[5] foster the people was born out of a nascent relationship with drummer mark pontius, a film school student who left his group malbec to found a band with foster in fall 2009.[5][10][11] at that time, foster had released and was playing shows supporting a solo album; pontius was impressed by the number and diversity of songs that foster had written to that point, saying, "some were on the guitar, and some were on the computer. but it was this really awesome singer songwriter thing with a tricked out beat, and i felt we could go wherever we wanted with this." foster the people (as "foster & the people") played their first show on october 7, 2009 at the dakota live music lounge;[12][13] they played many of the songs that foster had written for his solo record. the first iteration of the band was foster, pontius, and producer zach "reazon" heiligman. the group soon added a bassist, foster's long time friend cubbie fink, who had lost his job at a television production company during the recession.[5][10] early on, the band performed as a quartet with producer reazon.[14][15][16] reazon performed live music programming and appeared in some of their early press photos.[17][18][19] he broke off from the group in mid 2010 and is credited as a co writer of the song "miss you".[20][11][21] mark foster originally named the band foster & the people, but people misheard it as "foster the people". eventually, he took to the nurturing image it evoked of "taking care" of people, so the name stuck.[23] not long after the group formed, foster wrote and recorded a song at mophonics called "pumped up kicks", which eventually proved to be the band's breakthrough. after foster posted the song on his website as a free download in early 2010, it drew considerable attention; nylon magazine used the track in an online advertising campaign,[24] and through various blogs, it went viral.[25] the group, yet to be signed, garnered buzz with performances at the south by southwest music festival in march 2010.[26][27][28] foster was emailed by many people about "pumped up kicks", and needing professional guidance, he contacted artist manager brent kredel at monotone, inc. in march, saying, "everyone is calling me and emailing me what do i do? who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?[24] kredel recalled that "he went from the guy who couldn't get a hold of anyone to being the guy who had hundreds of emails in his inbox." kredel and brett williams were subsequently hired to co manage foster the people, and they arranged meetings for the band with several record labels, including warner bros., atlantic, columbia, and universal republic. in may 2010, the band was signed to the columbia imprint startime international in a multi album deal. the deal did not involve ancillary rights. foster controls publishing of the songs in north america, while a separate 2010 deal with sony/atv music publishing controls publishing outside of north america.[24] after foster the people signed their record deal and to avoid burnout, startime allowed the group to pace themselves and not rush an album that would cash in on the popularity of the song. from july to september 2010, the group wrote new material that would appear on their debut album, and they chose paul epworth, rich costey, and greg kurstin to co produce the record with mark foster.[24] without much experience as a live act, foster the people were booked in october 2010 to play several club shows. at this point a trio, the band recruited musicians sean cimino and isom innis to tour with them.[29] booking the group proved difficult, as concert promoters were hesitant about an artist without previous touring experiences. foster the people promoted these concerts by emailing fans who had downloaded "pumped up kicks" from their website about the shows. in early 2011, the band was booked to perform at april's coachella valley music and arts festival. meanwhile, the group continued to grow its fanbase with a month long residency of concerts in january at the echo nightclub in los angeles. according to booking agent tom windish, by the group's third show at the venue, "there were hundreds of people trying to get in outside.... it was an obvious turning point that could be measured in numbers." the residency also drew the attention of music supervisors in attendance who would later help the group license their music.[24] foster the people issued its first commercial non single release in january 2011, a self titled ep featuring "pumped up kicks", "houdini", and "helena beat" that was intended to hold fans over until their first studio album, torches, was completed. fans who purchased the ep through the itunes store were able to apply it toward the purchase of their full length debut album. the ep drew the attention of organizers of march's south by southwest festival, as well as executives looking to license music for upcoming season finales of television series. columbia senior director of creative licensing jonathan palmer said, "the plan helped us a great deal to set up more opportunities rather than chasing the release date. so by the time we put the record out in may, we had already placed several songs." half of torches' songs were licensed among them are: "pumped up kicks" (gossip girl, the vampire diaries, friends with benefits, entourage), "houdini" (gossip girl); "helena beat" (the vampire diaries); "don't stop (color on the walls)" (suits, nissan motors commercial); and "call it what you want" (fifa 12). palmer commented, "i haven't seen this kind of a range of song licenses from one album since we worked the first ting tings record three and a half years ago. that was an album where we licensed nine or [all] 10 songs on the album. we're kind of in a similar situation [with torches]."[24] beginning in july 2010, sirius xm satellite radio's alt nation channel began playing "pumped up kicks", followed by many alternative radio stations including los angeles terrestrial stations kroq fm and kysr in january 2011.[30][31] mark foster credits sirius xm's airplay with the song's success, saying, "alt nation played our music before any other radio outlet in the country."[32] on january 29, the song debuted on billboard's rock songs chart and a week later, it debuted on the alternative songs chart. in may, the track debuted at number 96 on the billboard hot 100, and later that month, the group released their first full length studio album, torches. the success of "pumped up kicks" and appearances on many late night talk shows, including last call with carson daly, the tonight show, jimmy kimmel live!, and the late late show with craig ferguson, helped the record debut at number eight on the billboard 200.[24] to promote the album, the group undertook a concert tour in the us and europe for much of the second half of 2011, with most dates sold out.[5] by the time the group took a break in december, they had toured for 10 consecutive months.[10] "pumped up kicks" proved to be a crossover hit, charting across several different radio formats; in addition to peaking at number one on the alternative songs chart in june and number three on the rock songs chart in july, the song broke into the top 40 of the hot 100 in late july and appeared on the adult top 40 and mainstream top 40 charts. columbia senior vp of promotion lee leipsner said, "it was one of the only alternative bands i remember in a while that you could actually dance to. and the fact that the record has a groove and rhythmic feel to it not heavy guitar based at all gave us a wide opportunity to cross the record." he credits the song's crossover success and push into the top 40 to a june presentation of new music by tom poleman of clear channel. according to leipsner, "after we showed our presentation, we had so many clear channel major market programmers come up to us and say, 'the record i want to play besides adele is foster the people.'" "pumped up kicks" peaked at number three on the hot 100, spending eight consecutive weeks at the position. according to nielsen soundscan, over 321,000 copies of torches have been sold in the us.[24] "pumped up kicks" finished 2011 as the sixth best selling digital song of the year, with 3.84 million copies sold.[33] the band was named in a lawsuit filed by brandon dorsky on may 24, 2011, alleging a breach of an oral contract between him and foster, and that dorsky had named the band.[5] the case was settled for an undisclosed amount in july 2011.[citation needed] foster the people appeared as the musical guest on the october 8, 2011, episode of saturday night live, playing "pumped up kicks" and "houdini". kenny g appeared as a guest performer on the latter song.[34][35] at the end of the year, the group received two grammy award nominations: best pop duo/group performance for "pumped up kicks" and best alternative music album for torches.[36] at the awards ceremony, the band and maroon 5 performed with the beach boys, one of foster's childhood idols, in a medley of songs to celebrate the beach boys' 50th anniversary.[37] reflecting on foster the people's sudden rise to success, foster said, "for so many years, it was slow, playing in front of rooms full of 10 people and trying to get your friends to come... and then all of a sudden, it kind of took off. it's been a fast incline, so we've had to just work really hard, keep our heads down and just stay grounded. at the same time, we've had a lot of fun during the process."[36] the group continued to tour throughout 2012.[38] by the time the group's final us tour for torches concluded in los angeles in july 2012, the group had played 295 shows in the previous 16 months.[39] mark foster and unofficial bandmate isom innis debuted their electronic music side project, smims & belle, at hard summer in august 2012.[40] (mister) smims is foster's dj name, while (southern) belle is a moniker used by innis.[41][42] the duo's songs include "ghetto blastah" (with a music video directed by michele civetta),[43] and "beat illuminati". smims & belle released an official remix of lana del rey's "blue jeans", featuring a bespoke rap verse from azealia banks.[44] the project's unreleased material includes remixes of tracks by little dragon, florence + the machine, and the internet.[8] smims & belle have been inactive since around 2015, coinciding with increased production responsibilities for foster and innis within foster the people.[45] at the 2012 brit awards, mark foster said that foster the people's second album would be released in 2013. in this year, during june, the band played at the firefly music festival as well as at a secret show at the troubadour in los angeles, performing four new songs: "a beginner's guide to destroying the moon", "pseudologia fantastica", "fire escape", and "coming of age". their second album was supposed to be released in november 2013, but columbia decided to delay the release until january 2014 because they "didn't want them to be stumbling a hurtle too intense like that fourth quarter competition. the record's so beautiful, we didn't want to take a gamble of potentially losing it in the rush." foster told rolling stone, "this record still has the joy that our first album did, but it's been thrown into a pit and forced to dance among wolves." foster said that the new album, which is "more organic and more human", would be released in early 2014. he hinted at a few new tracks, including "a beginner's guide to destroying the moon" and "are you what you wanna be?", and stated that the first single should be on radio by january.[46] foster also told rolling stone that, "in the first record, i was looking at my vision for the project through a piece of opaque glass," and that the next album will be "a clearer picture of what i've had in my head when it comes to that vision."[47] the first single, "coming of age", was digitally released on january 14, 2014. the group's second studio album, supermodel, was released via digital retailers on march 18, 2014.[48] the album was followed by three more singles ("best friend", "pseudologia fantastica", and "are you what you want to be?") and an extended play titled spotify sessions, which featured recorded versions of five songs off of their album. the band promoted "coming of age" by releasing a time lapse music video of a seven story mural of the supermodel album cover being painted in downtown los angeles.[49] young and sick, who also designed artwork for torches, designed the mural. the painting took over ten days to complete.[50] although young and sick designed the mural, the actual painting was done by artists leba and vyal under the guidance of danial lahoda, the owner and director of lalaarts.[51] foster explained that the mural wasn't intended to be a promotion for the album cover: "it's meant to be a piece of art for the city that happens to be an album cover."[52] on january 23, 2014, the band played a free show in front of the mural.[49] following some legal controversy, the supermodel mural was later painted over.[53][54] on march 24, 2015, during an interview in paraguay, foster the people announced that they were working on a third album. when describing their upcoming record, they said that "the first record was more, kind of, electro pop, the second record was more of a rock record, and i think this one is going to be a little more hip hop."[55] on september 23, 2015, foster the people announced that fink would be leaving the band to pursue other opportunities. he stated, "i would like to express my extreme gratitude to our fans for your incredible love and support over the last four years. it was a true gift getting to perform for such loyal, passionate, and heartfelt people. i will miss playing and seeing all of you on the road. god bless you all."[56] during an interview in 2018, mark foster admitted that fink's departure had been less than amicable and that they have not since kept in touch. he said, "that was really hard. he's like family. we were friends before i started the band. i dated his sister for over a year and thought i was going to marry her. his parents were like my parents. it was really rough, and it wasn't until the past nine or so months where we felt able to move forward. [...] we have mutual friends, and i've heard he's doing well. but it was a bad breakup. it was a very high pressure situation for a number of years, but we did so much together. the first coachella and the first time playing snl was together. it's like we were in a foxhole together. we experienced things that nobody else will ever understand, and so it was really hard."[57] on april 24, 2015, the film little boy was released where mark foster co produced the soundtrack for the film,[58] with one track featuring mark pontius. on november 27, 2015, foster the people released a stand alone single: "ruby." on december 8, 2015, they released another song called "the unforeseeable fate of mr. jones" through bittorrent.[59] on october 9, 2016, foster the people played at the rocking the daisies music festival, performing three new songs from their upcoming third studio album: "lotus eater", "doing it for the money", and "pay the man".[60][61] on april 5, 2017, the band announced a world tour set to start in the summer. on april 27, 2017, the band released an ep, iii, composed of three songs from their upcoming third studio album ("pay the man", "doing it for the money", and "shc"). with this release, it was announced that their next full album would be released in june or july. this was also the group's first recording for which longtime touring/studio musicians isom innis (son of restless heart's dave innis) and sean cimino were attributed as official members.[62] on june 13, the band announced the title and tracklisting of third album sacred hearts club, that was released on july 21.[63] the band ended the first month of 2018 by performing live in the asian pacific region.[64] in march 2018, the band provided vocals on "ride or die" by the knocks. recently, the band has witnessed the resounding success of "sit next to me", reaching over 200 million streams on spotify and over 100 million plays on youtube. commenting on the song's slow burning success, mark foster said, "it's kind of crazy to me that it's been on the radio for so long and it keeps continuing to grow. i guess it's a sleeper. [...] it's such a good feeling to write something that resonates and breaks the mold of the status quo. that's what happened with 'pumped up kicks' and it's happening again with 'sit next to me.' i love timeless pop."[57] they have also expressed their feelings on the recent spike in gun violence in the united states by showing their support for leaders of the march on washington for gun control and other protests.[65] from november 6, 2018, the band would periodically release a new single every few months. these consisted of the four songs “worst nites”, “style”, “imagination”, and “pick u up”, all released between november 6, 2018, to september 6, 2019, though they were never included on an album. all singles would eventually be accompanied by a music video that were directed by mark foster, who had previously only directed one music video, pseudologia fantastica back in 2014.[66] young & sick, who designed the cover art for torches and supermodel, designed all the cover art for each single as well. imagination gained notable popularity compared to the rest of the singles, boasting over 110 million streams on spotify and over 82 million views on youtube.[67] around this time, foster the people departed from their longtime label, columbia records. band member and drummer mark pontius revealed on the first episode of his podcast that the group had split from columbia records and are currently operating independently. [68] in one article, frontman mark foster reveals that when it comes to contractual agreements, columbia records had agreed to let the band operate independently; foster also stated that he feels lucky that he and the band never went through "horror stories of labels trying to force us to do a collaboration with somebody that was just a bad idea" and that columbia records as a whole was “really supportive”.[69] foster goes on to say that when it comes to the modern day music industry, "...the way that music's consumed has changed. there's a fluidity with streaming that's really powerful: to be able to go direct to a fan, to cut out the middle man, to not worry about having hard sales, making cds, and getting them on the shelves in stores. none of that stuff really matters anymore." foster finishes on the note that the most important part of splitting from their label is the fact that they will be able to "retain all of our rights" to all music released going forward.[69] on march 24, 2020, the group released their first independent song, ultimately separate from the ep, "it's ok to be human". the song's single cover references the covid 19 pandemic with its lyrics calling for encouragement.[70][71] on may 18, 2020, the group announced that the sixth single "lamb's wool" would be released on may 22, 2020. a visualizer for the song was released the same day.[72] band member and drummer mark pontius revealed on the first episode of his podcast that the group has split from columbia records and are currently operating independently.[68] on july 9, 2020, the group released a seventh single called "the things we do," which focuses on police violence and racial inequality in the united states. all proceeds of the song will be donated to four charities: 25% is going to black lives matter international, 25% to the bail project, 25% to rebuild foundation, and 25% to the underground museum. in october 2020, isom innis and sean cimino released an eponymous ep for their side project, peel.[73] the group released an eighth single titled "under the moon" on november 13, 2020. this was followed ep titled in the darkest of nights, let the birds sing, released on december 11, 2020. the tracklist included the three pre released singles; "lamb's wool", "the things we do", and "under the moon", along with the recently debuted "cadillac", and two new songs: "walk with a big stick" and "your heart is my home". mark foster said in a 'live at my den' interview that most of the ep was written throughout quarantine, where the band passed around different projects until 'the ep felt complete'. on may 23, 2021, foster the people released a teaser to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut album torches titled torches x.[74] the anniversary album, which features new and remixed tracks from the exclusive editions, released on november 12 the same year. to celebrate, they released the track "broken jaw" which was originally exclusive to the itunes edition.[75] on october 13, 2021, mark pontius left the band to focus on raising his daughter,[76] leaving foster as the only founding member still in the band. on october 29, 2021, the group teamed up with canadian dj deadmau5 to release a new single titled "hyperlandia", which had been in the works since 2016. in november 2021, the band performed torches x concerts at the wiltern, which were live streamed worldwide via the moment house platform.[77] from late 2021 until early 2024, the band was on unofficial hiatus, and no social media posts were made from the band's accounts. in may 2024, the band was confirmed to be working on a new song titled "lost in space".[78] this single release was followed by the announcement of a fourth studio album, paradise state of mind, released on august 16, 2024 to mostly positive reviews yet commercially underperforming. this has in part been attributed to the band's unofficial hiatus between 2021 to 2024 with no announcement of new music during this period, causing many fans to speculate the band was no longer together. despite the commercial underperformance, the album is the highest rated album by foster the people on metacritic. mark foster confirmed the departure of sean cimino from the band,[79] but stated he had contributed guitar and modular to several tracks on the new record.[80] foster also announced a collaboration with electric guest that would be released separately to the album.[81] foster the people's musical style has been described indie pop,[82][83][84][85] synth pop,[86][87] dance pop,[88][89] alternative rock,[84][90] indie rock,[85] neo psychedelia,[91] indietronica,[92] and psychedelic pop.[92] current former touring musicians former touring musicians

jazz profiles from npr our producers rolando arrieta rolando has been working as a producer in npr's cultural programming for 8 years. he shared a peabody award for his work on trumpeter wynton marsalis' making the music. in addition, the panamanian native is a retired professional in line speedskater. during his 6 years as a competitor, rolando had been ranked first in the washington, d.c. metropolitan area, second on the east coast and 6th nationwide. he took a 6 month leave of absence to train with speedskater bonnie blair and dan jansen and to try to make the u.s. olympic team, his ultimate goal. not being able to reach that goal, rolando retired from speedskating to become a white water kayaker. (shows produced: ray barretto, fitzgerald, marian mcpartland, puente, mongo santamaria, joe williams) elizabeth blair elizabeth is currently the series producer for npr's "present at the creation." in 1998, she received a peabody award for the documentary she wrote and produced, i must keep fightin': the art of paul robeson. she was the lead producer of the npr 100 series, which also won a peabody award. elizabeth was the arts reporter at whyy fm in philadelphia where she won a 1997 gabriel award and regional awards from the rtnda and society of professional journalists (spj). her feature stories have been heard on npr news magazines including morning edition and all things considered. elizabeth spent three and a half years in paris, france, producing "postcard from paris" and co producing the award winning series le jazz club from paris with dee dee bridgewater. (show produced: billie holiday) dayna calderon dayna is a chicago native    born on the southwest side, raised by al & rae, and disciplined by the sisters of st. casimir. she received her first tape recorder on her 10th birthday. this was probably a foreshadowing into her broadcast career. while a senior at columbia college, she began interning at wbez fm. she stayed there for 10 years    (a southsider never knows when to leave a party!) her accomplishments include an 8 year stint as producer of the nationally syndicated broadcasts of the chicago blues, gospel, jazz and viva festivals from grant park. while at wbez she developed the music library, hosted a weekly segment on music and culture, and managed programming operations. she has won an emmy award as associate producer for "world stage, chicago"    a program showcasing ethnic music and culture in chicago. dayna remains active in the broadcast industry through contributions towards npr programs including npr's "new year's eve coast to coast" and jazzset. music is her mainstay, travel is her passion and the chicago cubs are her heroes! (shows produced: chicago part 1, chicago part 2) tom cole tom is a native of washington, d.c. he's been an editor and producer at npr for more than ten years, starting at performance today, then moving on to produce the arts segments for morning edition. before coming to npr, cole was an editor and producer at voice of america and before that, production manager at npr member station wamu fm in washington, d.c. for more than 20 years, cole has hosted a music program on washington's pacifica station, wpfw. called "g strings," the program features mostly instrumental performances on stringed instruments (guitar, violin, bass, etc.). cole has interviewed many jazz greats for both the show and for features he has produced for npr's newsmagazines, including joe pass, tiny grimes, jethro burns, howard roberts, laurindo almeida, bill frisell, tal farlow, jim hall, emily remler, barney kessell, and herb ellis. (show produced: wes montgomery) paul conley paul is a full time jazz disc jockey and staff producer at npr member station kxjz sacramento, an award winning jazz and news broadcaster serving northern california. he has produced numerous short features on acclaimed jazz artists including marian mcpartland, eddie harris, ellis marsalis, buddy defranco and nnenna freelon. a published writer, conley is also a frequent contributor to the jazz online web site, which has presented his articles on dr. billy taylor and erroll garner among others. prior to joining kxjz in 1991, conley worked as a radio promotions manager for concord records under the direction of the independent label's founder and president, the late jazz impresario carl jefferson. in addition to hosting a weekly jazz program on the ucla campus radio station, in 1983 he co founded a monthly series of free concerts called "jazz at the wadsworth," which provided students and the community at large the chance to hear top name jazz artists such as freddie hubbard, gerald wilson, joe farrell, poncho sanchez, and clare fischer. (shows produced: george avakian, kenny burrell, paul desmond, erroll garner, bobby hutcherson, quincy jones, george shearing, zoot sims, mel torme, gerald wilson) john dilberto john is an award winning radio producer and music journalist. his radio documentaries, "totally wired" and "edgar varese's sonic liberation," have won several national awards. he is currently the host and producer of echoes, a daily music soundscape heard on more than 135 public radio stations. in addition to his radio endeavors, john is a freelance music writer whose articles and reviews have appeared in musician, billboard, pulse, jazziz, downbeat, audio, and cd review. (shows produced: carla bley, john coltrane part 1, john coltrane part 2, chick corea, charlie haden, herbie hancock, abdullah ibrahim, keith jarrett, jackie mclean, sam rivers, sun ra, randy weston) greg fitzgerald greg has been actively involved in producing music, documentary and magazine programs on public radio and television since 1971. he has worked for a number of public radio stations including wgbh boston, wnyc new york, and new hampshire public radio. he is currently senior producer for monitor radio in boston. he also served as senior producer for the monitor channel, the 24 hour news features cable channel of the christian science monitor. greg has been associated with a number of npr music programs in the past, including npr's jazz alive! at the 1978 white house jazz festival, hosted by jimmy carter, broadcasts of the kool jazz festival in new york, and jazz from lincoln center. in boston, he produced many live and taped broadcasts for wgbh, including a commissioned work for tenor saxophonist david murray, as well as boston's early music festival. (shows produced: gene ammons, tony bennett, ahmad jamal, toots thielemans, george wein/newport jazz festival, blue note records) margaret howze margaret has produced music programs for npr's cultural programming division for the last 15 years. most recently, she was the music producer of anthem, npr's weekend live mix of american popular music and culture (and producer of that program's music compilation cd, npr studio cuts). margaret was also the producer for npr's 26 part jazz series wynton marsalis: making the music (winner of the peabody award). in addition to jazz profiles, her documentary productions include features on louis armstrong, jelly roll morton, hank williams, phil spector, and the "st. louis blues" for the npr 100 series. she has also produced and directed numerous live and taped concert broadcasts in jazz and american traditional music. her other broadcasting awards include the cpb gold and silver awards, and the bronze award from the international radio festival of new york. margaret's work in music and radio started with stints at cbs records (now sony) in new york city, at cbs studios in london (where she excelled at making tea for the staff), and as a dj on london's radio wood green and the short lived pirate station radio shoestring. she holds a b.a. in english from the university of virginia, and is currently working as an independent producer out of new orleans. (shows produced: women in jazz, parts 1 & 2, nat king cole part 1, nat king cole part 2, mary lou williams) njemile carol jones njemile has worked in public radio for 18 years. she studied broadcast journalism in her hometown of washington, d.c. at howard university, where she also hosted a critically acclaimed magazine show at whur fm in the late 1970s. njemile joined the staff of npr's morning edition shortly after the program's debut in 1979. for nine years, she held several different positions    tape editor and writer, producing features with host bob edwards and directing the live broadcast. from 1985 to 1989 she worked as a producer in the department of special programs at npr. she has produced several award winning documentaries and features, including "the pope don't know about this: black catholics," (npr); "class of 2000" (npr); and "reaching for power through the pain: african american breast cancer survivors" (soundprint). njemile was a production consultant for the peabody award winning series, "wade in the water: african american sacred song and worship traditions," produced by npr and the smithsonian institution. she recently completed production of five one hour documentaries, "images of america's 20th century,"hosted by acclaimed actress phylicia rashad. (shows produced: chico hamilton, charles lloyd, louis armstrong: the trumpeter, jimmy scott, james moody, stanley turrentine, ellis larkins, milt hinton, jimmy smith, roy haynes) bill kirchner bill kirchner is a composer arranger, saxophonist, record and radio producer, jazz historian, and educator. his jazz ensemble, the bill kirchner nonet, has appeared at major festivals, concerts, and nightclubs since 1980. his latest recordings are some enchanted evening (duets with pianists michael abene, marc copland, and harold danko) and trance dance with the nonet, both on a records. kirchner's arrangements, in addition to those for his nonet, have been recorded by dizzy gillespie, lee konitz, singer patti austin, and the smithsonian jazz repertory ensemble. his sideman credits as a player include live performances or recordings with mel lewis and the jazz orchestra; the american jazz orchestra; singers anita o'day, chris connor, sheila jordan, and karen akers; violinist joe kennedy jr.; bassist reggie johnson; and bandleaders mousie alexander, mario bauza, and bobby rosengarden. for a decade, kirchner has been closely involved with jazz recordings as a producer and liner notes annotator for blue note, bmg, challenge, columbia, fantasy, grp, mosaic, the smithsonian collection of recordings, verve, and warner bros. he received a 1995 naird indie award for "best liner notes" for the smithsonian's big band renaissance: the evolution of the jazz orchestra and a 1996 grammy for "best album notes" for miles davis and gil evans: the complete columbia studio recordings. kirchner is the editor of a miles davis reader (smithsonian institution press, 1997) and the upcoming jazz: a reader's companion (oxford university press). he teaches jazz composition and jazz history at the new school university in new york city. for more information, check out www.jazzsuite.com. (shows produced: bob brookmeyer, benny carter, johnny mandel, artie shaw) nick lloyd and adam emmert nick and adam are free lance radio producers living in new york city. adam spent the better part of his college years broadcasting radio from wkco at kenyon college, developing a love and deep knowledge of jazz. his work can be heard late at night in rural ohio. a keyboard player, nick has also written on and transcribed the 1960's miles davis quintet analyzing their work in the context of traditional music theory. he is currently enrolled in a doctoral music theory program at yale university. (show produced: wayne shorter) jim luce jim has made the jazz world his home    producing jazz festivals including new york's caramoor music festival and charlie parker jazz festival, founding the jazz beats breast cancer! fundraising concert series at new york city's lincoln center and town hall, and producing and hosting national radio programs from wbgo newark, one of america's top jazz radio stations. a man who knows jazz, luce is also a man who knows business. after graduating from emerson college boston in 1974, luce parlayed his business experience and jazz expertise into the national jazz scene. his diverse career spans a wide spectrum of music and entrepreneurial posts, from music presentation and marketing, to broadcasting, financial services, audiovisual services, nonprofit management and board development, and general business. (shows produced: miles davis part 1, miles davis part 2, satchmo    the wonderful world of louis armstrong 13 part series, duke ellington centennial radio project) joan merrill joan came to radio from television and video production. she had a corporate video production company for 15 years, and also produced cultural programs for television. her documentary on jazz singing, "saying it with jazz" (featuring carmen mcrae, carol sloane, etta jones, and others), has been broadcast nationally. joan's independently produced radio documentary on carmen mcrae was adapted for jazz profiles in its first year, 1996, and she has continued to produce programs for the series ever since, specializing in vocalists. she is also responsible for four shows for the pri radio series on "jazz singing," produced by smithsonian productions in 2000 2001. joan has written three books. the media works (1974) was named the best media textbook of the year by media and methods magazine. her most recent book, camcorder video (prentice hall, 1991) is still selling well. joan received a master's of liberal arts degree from stanford university in 2000, her thesis topic: "jazz or ersatz? the criteria of authentic jazz singing." (shows produced: ernestine anderson, ray brown, rosemary clooney, freddy cole, johnny hartman, al hibbler, etta jones, carmen mcrae, norman simmons, sarah vaughan, anita o'day, jazz in song: the words, jazz in song: the instrumentalists) karen michel karen is an independent radio producer based in new york. she produces features and documentaries for npr and other, primarily non commercial, outlets. a lifelong sound junkie, karen concentrates on heavily produced arts and cultural programs. in her more 12 years in radio, karen has received many grants, fellowships, and awards. these include fellowships from the national endowment for the arts, the japan u.friendshiphip committee, the japan foundation, the indo american fellowship program, and the national arts journalism program; and awards from the corporation for public broadcasting, american women in radio and television, and the national federation of community broadcasters. karen studied the shamisen and voice in tokyo, and is now attempting to play the (fretless) electric bass. (shows produced: peggy lee, charles mingus part 1, charles mingus part 2, oscar pettiford) molly murphy molly is an independent radio producer based in washington, d.c. she has worked extensively with national public radio's cultural programming department in both jazz and classical divisions including producing, writing, and editing for jazz profiles, wynton marsalis' making the music, billy taylor's jazz at the kennedy center, and performance today. she produces a weekly series of pieces hosted by trombonist delfeayo marsalis called "notes from the road" for npr's jazz riffs series. molly has also worked with public radio international to present documentary specials on music and the arts in europe and has produced host and reporter pieces for pri's the savvy traveler. outside of public broadcasting, she produces and mixes commercial audio material including radio ads and fundraising demos. (shows produced: jazzed in d.c., today's generation: the ups & downs, hoagy carmichael, buddy defranco, harry "sweets" edison, tommy flanagan, ellis marsalis, bud powell, sonny rollins, jay mcshann, art tatum, benny waters, claude "fiddler" williams, on the road, the village vanguard. studio producer for duke ellington [5 of 10 hours], hoagy carmichael) elisabeth perez luna elisabeth has been a journalist for more than twenty seven years and has been producing national radio programs since 1979. she has written and produced audio art pieces, museum audio projects, more than 200 documentaries and numerous independent series. perez luna was the executive producer/host of npr's weekly newsmagazine crossroads for its entire ten year run. she is currently executive producer of the national weekly public radio newsmagazine artbeat. elisabeth contributes regularly to npr's all things considered and morning edition and she has won the ohio state award, the major armstrong award, cpb awards and nfcb awards. she's co founder with audio artist and engineer len perskie, of the production company toucan productions. she has a master's degree in journalism from columbia university in new york. (shows produced: sidney bechet, al grey, the heath brothers, jimmy heath, jon hendricks) sally placksin sally is an award winning non fiction writer and radio producer    she's hosting her own radio series what's the word?, on the teaching of languages and literature that launched in april, 1997. the program is funded by the modern language association of america. ms. placksin is also the author of american women in jazz, 1900 to the present: their words, lives and music (seaview/wideview [us] and hannibal verlag [germany]), winner of the 1983 ascap deems taylor award. she is currently updating the book for publication by schirmer books as jazzwomen: a century of women performers, composers, and producers. (shows produced: doc cheatham, illinois jacquet, abbey lincoln) beth schenker beth is an independent radio producer and consultant. she has produced features for npr's morning edition, national native news, nebraska public radio and others. as a recipient of the gibley's/national jazz service organization community jazz program she produced a six part series on jazz trumpeters hosted by jon faddis that was heard on many public radio stations across the country. in addition, beth has received awards from the national endowment of the arts and the nebraska humanities council. most recently, she worked with nebraska state museum to develop a multi media exhibit. she also created and produced a radio call in program for young people heard statewide on the nebraska public radio network. beth lives in lincoln with her husband, steve robinson, and daughter, sara jo. (show produced: bill evans) steve schwartz steve has been part of the boston jazz scene for over twenty years. a former broadcast coordinator at wgbh fm, his weekly radio program, "jazz from studio four" has been on the air for over ten years, before that he was heard on wmbr fm and wbur fm. steve has produced hundreds of live broadcasts from the studios of wgbh, inviting boston area jazz groups in to perform on the radio, offering these musicians a platforms for their music to be heard and to promote their local and regional gigs. he has written and produced jazz documentaries for the past six years, all funded by the new england foundation for the arts, as part of their jazz achievement awards. subjects have included herb pomeroy, jackie mclean, alan dawson, jimmy giuffre, atilla zoller, yuseff lateef and archie shepp. these programs have won various awards, including best profile/community portrait award from the prestigious new york festivals for radio programming competition (shepp) and the boston a.i.r. award for best locally produced specialty show (lateef), both in 1997. steve has been field producer for recordings used on npr's jazzset. he also produced a successful concert series for wgbh which brought musicians like max roach, the mingus dynasty and the art ensemble of chicago to boston. he can be reached by e mail: steve_schwartz@wgbh.org. (show produced: george russell) ben shapiro ben is a new york based radio producer who has been producing for npr programs for over 10 years, including jazz profiles, all things considered, and morning edition, and the widely re broadcast "hidden jews of new mexico" series. he is also a filmmaker whose documentaries have appeared on pbs, wnet tv's city arts, the history channel, msnbc and other outlets. ben welcomes e mail comments about his programs at bshapiro@well.com. (shows produced: toshiko akiyoshi, jones brothers, max roach, jimmy witherspoon) ben sidran ben wears many hats but is probably best known as a musician, specifically a keyboard player and a vocalist. his career as a solo artist has been varied and prodigious. he has recorded over twenty albums since the early '70s with charlie watts, phil woods, joe henderson, carole king, the brecker brothers, larry carlton and tony williams. sidran's music from his last album, life's a lesson, has been featured on cbs sunday morning and npr's weekend edition. as a performer, sidran traveled the world performing at carnegie hall with dizzy gillespie and bobby mcferrin, symphony hall in boston, throughout japan and asia, and all across the european continent. he also hosted npr's peabody award winning jazz alive series, provided reviews for all things considered, and from 1985 through 1990, produced his own interview jazz program sidran on record. when he's not performing his own music or presenting the talents of other innovative american artists, sidran has an active career as a record and television producer. he has produced albums for diana ross, michael franks, mose allison and jon hendricks. he is the co owner and producer of the go jazz label. in 1994, he created the soundtrack for the feature length film hoop dreams. (shows produced: nat adderley, mose allison, bob dorough, benny golson, les mccann, phil woods) miyoshi smith miyoshi is a media artist based in philadelphia, pennsylvania. she has worked as a videotape editor and as a producer of the dramatic radio series "common spaces." she has also served as producer of several other radio series including an 18 part series called "even the sounds are blue, parts 1 and 2." additionally, miyoshi has produced a video for the 1993 traveling exhibition "flying high" at the institute of contemporary art and inter media arts. she was a panelist for the pa council on the arts, ohio arts council media arts program, and feminist film/video annual screening, in addition to serving as a board member of new liberty productions, and on the painted bride's community advisory panel. (show produced: horace silver) margot stage margot is an award winning independent audio producer and writer who has worked in public radio since 1983. she's contributed news and cultural features to npr's morning edition, all things considered, and weekend edition, and has worked as a reporter, host, and producer at wbur fm, monitor radio, and wgbh fm. at wgbh, margot co produced the radio documentary series, "jazz portraits," which has received several awards from the new york international radio festival, and boston a.i.r. margot's work has also received awards from the national commission on working women, the corporation for public broadcasting, ohio state, and the association of independent radio producers. she's also a narrator and voice over talent, and works extensively for wgbh tv's descriptive video service. margot is living and working (and surviving her son's adolescence) in the ex urbs of boston and walking in the woods as much as possible. (shows produced: sheila jordan, shirley horn, george russell) bruce talbot bruce has spent virtually all his working life in radio, television and record production. from 1991 to 1998 he was the executive producer at smithsonian collection of recordings and during that period was responsible for the creation of the grammy award winning louis armstrong, portrait of the artist as a young man 1923 34, big band renaissance   the evolution of the jazz orchestra, which won a naird 'indie' award, hot jazz on blue note, duke ellington   beyond category and, most recently, the grammy nominated set the jazz singers. talbot was born in new zealand and worked in radio there, before joining the british broadcasting corporation in london. england. prior to coming the u.s. to work at the smithsonian, he was a&r manager of bbc records and over the years has produced hundreds of records of all kinds of music, live studio recordings and live broadcasts. he dates his love of jazz back to age 4 when he first heard "i wish i could shimmy like my sister kate" by muggsy spanier's ragtime band. he has played tenor saxophone since his teens and has spent most of his career (probably to its detriment) attempting to increase exposure for, and knowledge of, jazz. (shows produced: tom talbert, bud shank) david tarnow david began his career as an independent radio producer of many canadian broadcasting corporation documentaries, which over the years have been aired internationally over such networks as australian broadcasting corporation, british broadcasting corporation, swedish national radio, vpro (netherlands), and npr. he has been nominated several times for an actra award from the association of canadian television and radio artists. his science series for elementary school children, "the wonderful world of science," was given a peabody award. two of his radio series, "the john hammond years" and norman granz' "jazz at the philharmonic," span more than 50 years of american popular music. david tarnow also produces interpretive audio for museum exhibits and audio documentaries for publication. (shows produced: lionel hampton, j.j. johnson, oscar peterson, clark terry) walter ray watson, jr. walther was born in lafayette, louisiana, on april fool's day, 1960. he is senior producer of npr's weekend all things considered. he's been writing, producing and reporting news and cultural features for the last nine years at npr. among his stories have been pieces on keith jarrett, milton nascimento, don pullen, joni mitchell, chick corea and bobby mcferrin. in may, 1996, he produced a series on race relations in post apartheid south arfica with npr news correspondent renee montagne. watson loves the music of thelonious monk, billy strayhorn, louis armstrong, ella fitzgerald, chet baker, shirley horn, geri allen, the world saxophone quartet, don byron, bill frisell, and ornette coleman to name a few. when he finds the time to read, he picks up "cultural criticism" by bell hooks. (show produced: thelonious monk) sonja williams sonja is an award winning radio documentary producer and assistant professor in the department of radio, television and film at howard university in washington, d.c. during the past twenty years, she has been actively involved in non commercial and commercial radio, including work as a producer/writer for the 13 part radio smithsonian and public radio international history series, "black radio: telling it like it was," hosted by lou rawls (1996); producer/co writer for the george foster peabody award winning "making the music," a 26 part npr documentary series hosted by jazz trumpeter wynton marsalis (1996). she was also producer/writer for "on sacred ground" a two part npr special on the a cappella group sweet honey in the rock and hosted by ruby dee (1996); producer/writer for the george foster peabody award winning "wade in the water: african american sacred music traditions," a 26 part npr/smithsonian institution documentary series hosted by bernice johnson reagon (1994); producer of "alternatives: one woman's fight against aids" for npr (1992); and executive producer of "in touch" an award winning (including the robert f. kennedy journalism award) documentary series produced by students of the howard university dept. of rtvf (1990 current). williams is a native of bronx, new york and holds a m.a. in broadcast management from ohio university (athens, oh), and a b.a. in communications from columbia college in chicago. (shows produced: armstrong's world (ambassador satch), andy bey, mccoy tyner, betty carter, melba liston, jaki byard)

this article delves into the current state of record labels worldwide, examining the key players, emerging trends, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the ever evolving landscape of the music industry, 2024 stands as a pivotal year for record labels globally. the traditional paradigms are being reshaped by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and innovative business models. as artists and audiences alike navigate this dynamic environment, record labels play a crucial role in defining the future of music. from the rise of independent labels carving out unique niche ai strategies to the traditional strategies employed by major labels to maintain their dominance, the music industry is more diverse and intricate than ever. a record label is a company that develops artists and supports them in reaching their goals. typically, the record label helps to produce, distribute, market, and share revenue from a phonograph (sound recording). usually, the record label appears on the phonograph line as the label and owner of a music release. record labels serve as comprehensive support systems for their artists, offering a range of services that are crucial for both emerging and established musicians. these labels, whether independent or major, play a big role in producing, distributing and promoting music. however, how they do this varies enormously from label to label. examples of what a record label could do is to enhance artists’ online presence, oversee contractual and legal matters, source producers, and shape the artistic direction of albums. some record labels function like investment banks in the music industry and some are more hands on and work alongside the artist they can either allocate funds towards developing an artist’s music, image, videos, and promotional activities for tours or have an inhouse team that will help the artist hands on. in return, they anticipate profits from concerts, merchandise, streaming, and endorsements. the focus of a major label is typically on artists who have the potential to generate significant social media engagement, thereby driving streams, views, and potentially viral phenomena. in contrast, independent labels often seek out artists who are at the forefront of musical innovation and genre development or another niche. this table highlights the fundamental differences between major and indie record labels determining the exact number of record labels in the world is quite challenging due to several factors. record labels vary greatly in size, from major international corporations, to small independent operations. additionally new labels constantly emerge while others may close or merge. while there’s no official global registry for all record labels in the world, industry experts like the international federation of the phonographic industry (ifpi) can provide estimates. according to the ifpi, the number of active record labels are up in the thousands. link to ifpi: ifpi global report 2024 here’s our breakdown and research and estimate of the number of labels in the world: the number of record labels in the world can be challenging due to the vast and diverse nature of the music industry. however, we can make an informed estimate based on available data and industry knowledge. combining these categories, a conservative estimate would be around 110,000 to 120,000 record labels worldwide. this number reflects both the highly visible and the underground sectors of the music industry, acknowledging the broad spectrum from global giants to bedroom based startups. from 1950 to 1980, the music industry was a battleground where numerous independent labels and major record companies vied for market dominance. over time, the larger companies began to absorb these independents, eventually setting their sights on acquiring each other. by the late 1990s, the industry had consolidated significantly, leaving just six major players: warner, universal, sony, bmg, emi, and polygram. the consolidation continued with universal purchasing polygram in 1998. this trend persisted into the 2000s, marked by a notable merger between sony and bmg in 2004, which eventually led to sony acquiring full ownership.currently, the music industry is dominated by the so called big three: sony music entertainment, universal music group, and warner music group. the big three control over 85 percent of the u.s. recording music industry. universal music group, the largest of the big three record labels, solidified its position as a powerhouse in the industry with the 1998 merger of polygram and universal. this merger united numerous subsidiaries under one roof, creating the world’s largest music company. since being wholly acquired by the french media conglomerate vivendi in 2006, universal has expanded further by acquiring bmg music publishing and univision music group, along with smaller labels. in 2007, its purchases of uk based sanctuary music group and v2 sparked concerns from the independent music sector about potential monopolistic outcomes. the association of independent music expressed fears that these acquisitions could marginalize the vibrant independent sector, stifle competition, and reduce consumer choices. despite these controversies, universal music group have a star studded roster that includes in 2004, sony music entertainment, a subsidiary of japan’s sony, merged with bmg entertainment, which was part of germany’s bertelsmann, to form sony bmg. this merger was primarily driven by the challenges of declining retail sales, the rise of online file sharing, and intense competition from other media types, according to reuters in 2003. despite opposition from independent music companies in europe, who argued that the merger would disrupt market balance, the european commission approved the consolidation. in 2008, sony acquired bmg’s 50% stake for $1.2 billion, as reported by kaplan, securing full ownership of what is now the world’s second largest record label. sony’s portfolio includes well known subsidiary labels such as arista, columbia, epic, jive, rca, and zomba. the company represents a roster of prominent artists, including: originally founded as warner bros. records in 1958, warner music group rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s by acquiring key labels such as elektra and atlantic. however, like its industry peers, the company faced declining sales as free online music swapping took hold. in 2004, time warner opted to divest its music division to focus on more lucrative sectors like time warner cable, selling it to an investor group for $2.6 billion. this deal transferred ownership of over 800 artists, including linkin park, metallica, and kid rock, and the company’s publishing arm, warner/chapell music, which held over a million copyrights. after a short period of operating independently, warner music group became a publicly traded entity in 2005, making it the only standalone music company listed in the united states. in preparation for its ipo, the company enacted approximately $250 million in budget cuts through layoffs and other consolidations. this sparked concerns among its artists about the prioritization of investor interests over those of performers. this concern was vocalized by linkin park, who even requested an early termination of their contract, citing the company’s direction as “bad news” according to guitarist brad delson. however, the band eventually negotiated a lucrative new agreement with warner. prominent artists of warner music: determining the best record label in the world is an impossible task since it all comes down to individual needs, goals and artistic vision. each label, whether it’s a major or a independent label, brings it own unique strengths and visions and deciding which one is actually best is simply based on your own preferences as an artist. some artists thrive under the extensive resources and global reach of a major label like universal music group. while others find a better fit with a independent record label such as sub pop or xl recordings, where creative freedom and a more personal, hands on approach is prioritized. since it’s nearly impossible to name which record label really is the best, we have put together a small comprehensive guide based on different criteria. as previously mentioned, it is impossible to evaluate the best labels. therefore we have decided to ask ai who they believe is the most famous / prominent record labels within a certain parameter: pop: hip hop/rap: rock: electronic/dance: country: r&b/soul: jazz: classical: here are 15 independent record labels accepting demos from new artists in 2024: here are the top 15 independent record labels 2024 according to ai: here are the 15 most famous record labels 2024 according to ai: comprehensive list of the most important sub labels in the music industry (based on “the big three”): getting a record label to pay attention to you as an up and coming musician can be difficult, no matter who you are or what kind of music you create. therefore, we have compiled an article on how to get signed by a record label as an artist. how to get signed to a record label in 2024? here is a organized list of all record record labels from a z that we have stumbled upon in our research. please note that our estimate is that there are over 100 000 record labels in the world, and that we can’t list all of them hear.list of 500+ record labels: spotifyyoutubefacebooktwitterinstagram © 2023 rexius records what we do signinglicensingsongwritingrecording studiosmixing and masteringmusic feedback company about usour brandsour friendswork with usnewsroom resources submit demoguidesprivacy policyartists @ rexius © 2025 rexius records.

gal gadot, jamie lee curtis, chris pine, mayim bialik, liev schreiber, amy schumer, michael douglas, jerry seinfeld, helen mirren, debra messing, among 2000+ entertainment leaders standing with israel haim saban, irving azoff, ynon kreiz, jody gerson, mark hamill, rick yorn, howie mandel, julian edelman, antoine fuqua, billy porter among 1000+ celebrities and entertainment executives to sign open letter condemning hamas and calling for the return of hostages los angeles (october 12, 2023)   more than 2000 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter released by the non profit entertainment industry organization creative community for peace in support of israel. the open letter calls on the entertainment community to speak out forcefully against hamas, to support israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war, and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families. the letter comes in response to hamas’ heinous terrorist attack on israel. in addition to the 1,200+ israelis murdered, citizens of the us, uk, canada, france, thailand, nepal, russia, ukraine, cambodia, germany, philippines, chile, brazil, italy, sri lanka, tanzania, and ireland have been identified as either missing or killed. gal gadot shared, “my heart is aching for the lives lost and families shattered. i’m praying for everyone who has been affected by hamas’ terrorism and brutality. and i hope that the world remains steadfast in their support of the israeli people.” the statement is the first of its kind   a call from the entertainment industry unequivocally voicing support for israel and condemning hamas’ terrorism. haim saban added, “in the aftermath of the barbaric killing of more than 1,200 israelis, we in the hollywood community and around the world must stand with israel as it defends itself against a terrorist regime in gaza that seeks israel’s destruction.” over 2000+ signatories including: haim saban, chairman and ceo, saban capital group; gal gadot, actress, producer; irving azoff, ceo/ chairman, full stop management; bryan lourd, ceo, caa; richard lovett, co chairman, caa; michael douglas, actor; aaron bay schuck, ceo/co chairman warner records; liev schreiber, actor; chris pine, actor; amy schumer, actress; jamie lee curtis, actress; mayim bialik, actor; debra messing, actress; jerry seinfeld, actor/comedian; jody gerson chairman and ceo, universal music publishing; ziggy marley, artist; mark hamill, actor; jenji kohan, writer and producer; ryan murphy, showrunner; zachary levi, actor; sharon osbourne, manager, on air talent; julian edelman, co founder, coast productions; jim berkus, chairman of the board of directors, uta; greg berlanti, writer/director/producer; andy garcia, actor; tracey ann oberman, actress; bella thorne, actress; emmanuelle chriqui, actress; howie mandel, entertainer; eli roth, director; antoine fuqua, producer/director; ryan kavanaugh, founder, proxima; phil rosenthal, actor/producer; george lopez, entertainer; mekhi phifer, actor; jason alexander, actor/director; fred savage, actor/director; ynon kreiz, chairman and ceo, mattel, inc.; dana goldberg, skydance, chief creative officer; gail berman, producer; steve schnur, worldwide executive & music president, electronic arts; sherry lansing, former ceo of paramount pictures; rick rosen, co founder, endeavor; josh greenstein, president sony pictures motion picture group; rick yorn, co founder, lbi entertainment; kevin yorn, founder & managing partner, yorn levine entertainment law firm; ben silverman; chairman & co ceo, propagate content; nina tassler, ceo, tassler, inc.; jeremy piven, actor; josh peck, actor; daniel glass, founder/ceo, glassnote records; noa tishby, actress/producer; orly marley, president, tuff gong worldwide; basil iwanyk, filmmaker and producer; jacqueline saturn, president, virgin music; david renzer, former ceo/chairman universal music publishing; modi wiczyk, co founder and co ceo, mrc; zach katz, president and coo, faze clan; david levy, partner, wme; mike levine, co head of caa sports; risa gertner, co head of caa motion picture group; michael rotenberg, partner, 3 arts entertainment; david zedeck , global head of music at uta; neil blair, partner, the blair partnership; marty singer, attorney, lavely and singer; patti felker, felker toczek suddleson abramson mcginnis ryan; fred toczek, partner, felker toczek suddleson abramson mcginnis ryan; jacob fenton, partner, united talent agency; chuck liddell, mma fighter; diane warren, songwriter; tom rothman, chairman & ceo of sony pictures entertainment; gary barber, former chairman of mgm and founder of spyglass entertainment; scott greenberg, partner lbi; guy nattiv, filmmake; helen mirren, actress; bruce resnikoff, president and ceo, universal music enterprises; john fogerty, musician; billy porter, actor; kevin huvane, co chairman, caa; jon bernthal, actor; shannen doherty, actor; sam levinson, writer/director,gary sinise, actor; noah wyle, actor/writer; simu liu, actor; nicholas sparks, author; danielle panabaker, actress, kathy ireland, entrepreneur/philanthropist/chair & ceo, kathy ireland worldwide; frances fisher, actress/activist; peter frampton, artist; samantha ronson, artist; richard lewis, actor/comedian; matthew weiner, writer/director, amongst others. see full list of signees below, and to add your name click here: [link] tracy ann oberman stated, “i am filled with sadness and anger at the growing antisemitism that is being fueled on the back of this horror. but even though we may feel broken as a people we are also resilient. we will survive as we always have.” “the nightmare that israelis have feared for decades became a reality as hamas terrorists infiltrated israeli cities and towns,” the statement reads. “under the cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately into civilian populations, hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women, and children,” it continues.” as the war will inevitably continue, the letter warns, “social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by iran”. the letter urges “everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda.” ccfp’s chairman, david renzer, and executive director, ari ingel shared, “we join entertainment industry leaders horrified at the loss of life in cities, towns, and at a celebratory music festival in southern israel. sadly, only now, after hundreds of innocent lives have been lost, does the world comprehend hamas’ barbarity. as nations around the globe joined together against the savagery of isis, the world must continue to support israel as they respond to the savagery of hamas.” full open letter the nightmare that israelis have feared for decades became a reality as hamas terrorists infiltrated israeli cities and towns. under the cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately into civilian populations, hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women, and children. they kidnapped and murdered infants and the elderly. they raped women and mutilated their bodies. they paraded their bodies through the streets and on social media, and cowardly attacked the supernova music festival   bringing death and destruction to an event celebrating friendship and love. this is terrorism. this is evil. there is no justification or rationalization for hamas’ actions. these are barbaric acts of terrorism that must be called out by everyone. they are a terrorist organization whose leaders call for the murder of jews everywhere. ccfp calls on our friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to speak out forcefully against hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families. as israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by iran. we urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda. our thoughts are with all those experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence, and we hope for the day when israelis and palestinians can live side by side in peace. signed ari ingel, executive director, creative community for peace aaron bay schuck, ceo/co chairman, warner records brad ableson, animation director, illumination natalie abrams, co ep deeba abrishamchi, senior manager, a&r, universal music publishing group jason adelman, vp, brand innovators labs orly adelson, former president of itv studios, america marty adelstein, ceo, tomorrow studios ali adler, producer ben adler, musician rachel adler, agent, caa dan ahdoot, comedian jason alexander, actor/director sasha alexander ponti, actress/ director, the ponti company karen allen, actor/director, blue willow productions inc. dan aloni, partner, wme kayla alpert, writer cindy ambers, co owner, art/work entertainment leon angel, joint head of football, caa base limited dennis arfa, chairman, iag music, independent artist group jarred arfa, evp and head of music, independent artist group taryn ariel, agent antonina armato, founder, heroine music group jeff astrof, showrunner, warner brothers liz astrof, writer/producer, 20th century/disney eve attermann, literary agent, wme michael auerbach, partner, jackoway austen nate auerbach, partner, versus creative karl austen, attorney, jackoway austen meredith averill, tv writer/showrunner, shahar avnet, creative director & founder, shahar avnet asi azar, tv host, keshet irving azoff, chairman, full stop management ivor baddiel, scriptwriter and author gary barber, ceo, spyglass media moshe barkat, ceo, colortime, llc. eve barlow, music journalist jonathan barnett, chairman, caa stellar romi barta, writer jonathan baruch, partner, rain richard baskind, partner & head of music, simons muirhead & burton lance bass, music artist neal batra, president, tradition pictures brian baumgartner, actor jaime becker, writer/producer m. becker matt earl beesley, director/producer, this much films idan ben abou, football agent, iscout ltd karyn ben gal, a&r coordinator, disney music publishing aton ben horin, vp of global a&r, atlantic records group rachel bendavid, head of scripted programming, bbc studios/lionsgate partnership pablo bendersky, producer/artist steven bensusan, president, blue note entertainment group ram bergman, producer, t street adam berkowitz, founder and president, lenore entertainment group jim berkus, chairman of the board of directors, uta jordan berkus, talent agent, uta greg berlanti, writer/director/producer, berlanti productions gail berman, ceo, the jackal group luc bernard, director, voices of the forgotten tj bernardy, talent agent, wme carolyn bernstein, exec vp, national geographic jeff bernstein, partner & board member, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein heather besignano, ceo & founder, icon pr mayim bialik, actor/host/author sharon bialy, co owner of bialy/thomas casting, bialy/thomas & associates matthew bierman, producer allison binder, partner, goodman genow schenkman smelkinson & christopher joshua p. binder, partner, rotherberg, mohr, and binder llp neil blair, partner, the blair partnership rachel bloom, writer doug blu, commercial dept, eris talent agency robyn bluestone, talent manager, robyn bluestone management steven blume, coo, content partners llc sawyer bock, coordinator, elevate entertainment evan bogart, songwriter & ceo, seeker music laura bonner, partner, wme michael borkow, writer/producer, tinder hill productions, inc. betsy borns, television writer/producer david bradley, partner, wme alan braun, agent, caa dan brecher, principal/owner, rothman brecher ehrich livingston chris bremner, screenwriter, unknown quantity tor breon, music agent, wme theodore bressman, screenwriter josh brill, writer/producer karen brodkin watson, evp, endeavor aline brosh mckenna, writer/director/producer brantley brown, talent representative, authentic talent and literary management amy brownstein, founder, prstudio ashley brucks, president of screen gems, sony aj buckley, artist mitch bukhar, talent agent, caa danny burstein, actor joannie burstein besser, owner/manager, burstein company david byrnes, partner, ziffren brittenham llp omri caaspi, former professional basketball player ryan cabrera, musician trey callaway, television showrunner bryan carmel, independent producer, the very specific corporation tia carrere, actress madeline carver, account service representative, vevo markell casey, music executive nir caspi, partner, non scripted tv, wme daniela cassorla, associate, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, pc jennifer cecil, writer/producer jared ceizler, talent manager, mgmt entertainment brian celler, founder, bravo charlie management pamela charbit, a&r manager, atlantic records olivier chastan, founder & ceo, iconoclast cliff chenfeld, co founder, razor & tie ted chervin, agent, caa emmanuelle chriqui, actor jeffrey ciabattari, talent manager patrick clifton, writer, promise & potential andrew cohan, co founder/c.e.o., aci licensing llc ayala cohen, talent agent, caa etan cohen, writer/director joe cohen, agent, caa alex cole, president, elevate entertainment lindsay conner, partner, o’melveny & myers henrietta conrad, ceo, the optimism company lionel conway, svp, bmg adam cooper, partner, jackoway austen, et al. leanne coronel, president, the coronel group raye cosbert, managing director, metropolis music ben cosgrove, ceo, leviathan productions cassidy crosby, associate manager of marketing, vevo jamie lee curtis, actress r.j. cutler, filmmaker, this machine avi dahan, attorney, boyarski fritz llp ian daly, head of brand strategy, live nation hannah damico, junior designer, vevo greg daniels, writer dani darling, entertainment attorney, lapolt law ben davis, partner, co head of digital, wme doug davis, the davis firm mitch davis, concert promoter, the artist partnership taylor dayne, artist danielle del, partner, d2 management jamie denbo, co ep grey’s anatomy, abc/disney david desantos, ceo, cottonwood productions meredith desantos, writer/producer josh deutsch, chairman/ceo, premier music group ken deutsch, global co chair, entertainment and media group, paul hastings llp vikram dhawer, partner, authentic talent & literary management avi diamond, director, film & tv licensing, warner music canada michael diamond, talent manager/partner, mgmt entertainment jessica dibiase, talent agent, caa lucy dickins, global head of music and touring, wme david digilio, showrunner/executive producer, the terminal list   amazon prime kosha dillz, artist, rapper matt dines, producer lee dinstman, partner, iag brian dobbins, co ceo, artists first efrat dor, actor joella dorenbaum, talent agent, caa craig dorfman, partner/manager, three six zero rick dorfman, partner/head of comedy & development, authentic talent & literary management michael douglas, actor/producer david draiman, frontman of the band disturbed bill duffy, head of basketball, wme sports alex edelman, comedian/writer julian edelman, co founder, coast productions scott edelman, senior partner, gibson dunn lisa edelstein, actor jason egenberg, ceo/producer, tiny riot entertainment jon ehrlich, founder/composer, qwire matthew einstein, ceo, tradition pictures jessica elbaum, producer, gloria sanchez productions natasha elie, marketing assistant, atlantic records talya elitzer, co founder, godmode music andy elkin, agent, caa craig emanuel, partner, entertainment & media, paul hastings robert emmer, founding partner, shout! factory alexandra emmerman, agent, caa hannah epstein, agent, caa dan erlij, partner, co head of tv lit, uta ingrid escajeda, showrunner/ep henry eshelman, managing director, pmg: platform media group nancy etz, agent, caa ikenna ezeh, partner, wme ron fair, record producer & ceo, faircraft inc. veronica falcón, actor donny farber, dan farber sharon farber, composer, soaring taurus, llc james farrell, agent, wme daniel federman, owner, maccabi tel aviv oded fehr, actor erik feig, founder/ceo, picturestart jaime feld, talent agent, caa james feldman, partner, lichter grossman nichols adler feldman & clark josh feldman, head of film and television, altar rock pictures katie feldman, publicist ryan feldman, partner, wme patti felker, partner, felker toczek suddleson abramson mcginnis ryan llp jacob fenton, partner, uta ken fermaglich, partner, uta hannah fidell, filmmaker tommy finkelstein, head of business affairs, general counsel, independent artist group dylan first, agent, wme bradley fischer, producer alexis fisher, ceo, timeline management scott fisher, select management group seth fisher, showrunner david fishof, producer and music executive wayne fitterman, talent agent, wme carlos fleming, partner, wme josh fluxgold, founder and president, oneway. beau flynn, producer, flynnpictureco erica forster, entertainment attorney gary foster, principal, krasnoff foster productions lauren fox, tv literary agent, caa sarah francus, manager, roc nation etan frankel, writer ashley franklin, partner/talent manager, thruline entertainment jordan frazes, founder, frazes creative bryan freedman, founding partner, freedman, taitelman + cooley jeffrey freedman jessica freedman, singer, sag aftra jay jay french, french management, twisted sister geordie frey, owner, gef entertainment michael fricklas stuart fried, grubman shire meiselas & sacks jody friedericks, executive creative director, 160over90 adam friedman, executive, caa adina friedman, president, friends at work management daryl friedman, former chief advocacy & industry relations officer, the recording academy stephen fry, actor/writer antoine fuqua, producer/director bryan furst, producer sean furst, producer, global position studios gal gadot, actress, producer, pilot wave alex gansa, writer/producer, gansa films inc. siri garber, ceo & founder, platform public relations andy garcia, actor risa bramon garcia, casting director, teacher, director, the bgb studio david gardner, president, artists first jeremy garelick, founder / owner, american high bruce garfield, executive director, columbus music commission spencer garrett, actor nancy gates, partner, uta willie gault, retired nfl player andrew genger, manager, red light management paul george, manager, podwall entertainment david gersh, co president gersh agency, gersh agency gary gersh, president, global touring, a.e.g. jody gerson, chairman and ceo, universal music publishing group risa gertner, agent, caa pete giberga, president, awal jill gillett, agent, wme gary ginsberg, senior vp, softbank group corp. joyce giraud, actress/model fran glasenberg, foundation executive, caa nikki glaser, comedian patricia l. glaser, partner, glaser wei fink howard jordan & shapiro daniel glass, founder/ ceo, glassnote records karen glauber, president, hits magazine david glick, founder & ceo, edge group joshua glick, manager jonathan glickman, founder, panoramic media company jordan glickson, vp, music & talent, vevo mark goffman, executive producer, off the cliff entertainment ross golan, songwriter, unknown music publishing elon gold, comedian/actor hannah gold, vp marketing, interscope records judy gold, comedian, actor, writer andrew goldberg, writer/producer dana goldberg, chief creative officer, skydance saul goldberg, agent, caa tracey goldblum, vp commercials, kmr tony goldring, agent, wme alistair goldsmith, president, chosen music lindy goldstein, producer, lindy goldstein productions michal goldstein, co president, basset hound distribution michael goldwasser, president/co founder, easy star records nichole gomez, agent, eris talent agency adrianne gonzalez, owner, byaginc alissa goodman, manager, authentic talent & literary management brandon goodman, co founder / co owner, best friends music howard gordon, writer/ep jonathan gordon, ceo, 1916 enterprises llc michael gordon, partner, caa jeff gorin, partner/talent agent, wme hildy gottlieb, agent in mp talent, caa karen gottlieb, partner, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, p.c. andrew gould, music executive david graber, svp, content licensing, warner brothers discovery jessica graboff, agent, caa marc graboff, consultant nicholas grad, president, fx entertainment cary granat, co founder and partner, destiny media, emh media jack dylan grazer, actor, jdg creative services michael green, writer roger green, partner, wme trudy green, trudy green management/hk alison greenberg, author and screenwriter, scott greenberg, partner, lbi stacy greenberg, head of scripted, us, merman steve greenberg, founder and president, s curve records ava greenfield, scripted tv agent, caa josh greenstein, president sony pictures motion picture group dan gregor, writer adam griffin, manager, vault entertainment iris grossman, partner, echo lake entertainment jonathan grossman, coordinator, elevate entertainment lynn grossman, ceo, secret road jeremy gruber, friends at work, head of artist marketing tony guanci, chairman, edgeout marc guggenheim, writer/producer gary gulman, comedian/writer julie gurovitsch, music producer, the tonight show paul haas, partner, wme michael hackman, ceo, hackman capital partners amanda hacohen, agent, wme amir haddad, singer songwriter, warner music france shirley halperin, editor in chief, los angeles magazine marilou hamill mark hamill, actor alicia hannah kim, actor amy b. harris, writer/producer lynn harris, producer/partner, 6th & idaho ronnie harris, partner, harris & trotter llp ashley harrison, agent, caa jo hart, founder, hart media becky hartman edwards, writer/producer, two in a tub productions ryan hayden, partner, uta josh heald, writer/producer patricia heaton, actress/producer, fourboysentertainment julianne heitzer, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein scott henderson, partner, wme karen hermelin, evp, marketing, strategy & insights, paramount pictures peter hess, co head, caa commercials endorsements stephen hill, actor avi hirshbein, a&r coordinator, electric feel ent. beth holden garland, manager, authentic shawn holiday, full stop management laura holstein, producer billy hopkins, casting director, hopkins ingram casting matthew horowitz, agent, caa samuel horowitz, television/film writer chris horsman, talent agent, caa allison howard, talent agent, wme andrew howard, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein linda edell howard, attorney, novick law lindsay howard parker, evp, head of scripted literary, independent artist group david hunt, founder, fourboys entertainment michelle hurd, actor and activist jon hurwitz, showrunner richard “bournrich” ingram, artist/creative director susana ivanir, executive, caa basil iwanyk, producer, thunder road films chukwudi iwuji, actor levi jackson, agent, wme mara jacobs, producer neil jacobson, founder of hallwood media chris jacquemin, partner, wme jonathan jakubowicz, writer & director, epicentral studios tim james, co founder, rock mafia maxwell jenkins, actor raymond jimenez, talent manager, zero gravity management brandt joel, agent, wme douglas johnson, agent, caa jasmine joseph danielpour, manager nancy josephson, partner, wme al joyner, former olympian brooke jung, talent agent, wme heather kadin, president, scripted tv range studios, range media partners rachel kalban, children’s television producer rachel kaplan, producer, absecon entertainment marisa kapust, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein dorian karchmar, agent and partner, wme mike karz, partner, gulfstream pictures zach katz, president and coo, faze clan ryan kavanaugh, founder, proxima stephen kay, general counsel, roku, inc. jonathan kellerman, novelist cari kenny, talent agent, eris talent agency lee kern, writer craig kestel, partner, wme ilan kidron, artist & musician april king, talent agent, wme russell king, director, king law firm melanie kirschbaum, writer/co ep david kissinger, ceo, dk media dana klein, writer/creator, can’t get five productions jenny klein, writer lance klein, partner, wme barbie kligman, writer/producer scott kluge, president, tremendous entertainment zachary knighton, actor, independent amanda kogan, agent, the gersh agency keetgi kogan steinberg, writer/producer blair kohan, board member/partner, uta jenji kohan, writer/producer/showrunner, tilted productions ben kohn, ceo, playboy courtney kohn marc korman, agent, wme barry kotler, agent, caa steve kram, ceo, content partners llc ynon kreiz, chairman and ceo, mattel, inc. rick krim, ceo, krim music + media erik kritzer, owner/partner, link entertainment josh kurfirst, music agent, wme andrew kurland, talent agent, caa michelle kydd, chief innovation officer, caa stephanie lafera, head of electronic, wme angela lafever, management, independent ricki lake, television host/actress evan lamberg, president, north america, universal music publishing amy landecker, actress john landgraf, ceo, fx networks gabz landman, vp, a&r, warner records sherry lansing, former ceo, paramount pictures/founder, the sherry lansing foundation dina lapolt, entertainment attorney, lapolt law, pc estelle lasher, president, lasher group sanaz lavaedian, svp of music, mocean inbar lavi, president, tuna productions dennis lavinthal, owner, hits magazine adam leber, founder, rebel jared leboff, producer, marc platt productions sara leeb, agent, caa michelle leibel, writer/producer, one trick pony productions doron leidner, football player, olympiacos carol leifer, comedian/writer jeffrey lenkov, attorney peter lenkov, writer eli leonard, comedian/writer/actor gerri leonard, partner, leonard business management, inc. greg lessans, weed road pictures colin lester obe, founder/chairman, jem music group david leventhal, business manager, citrin cooperman arielle lever, agent, caa zachary levi, actor ben levine, partner, link entertainment michael levine, co head, caa sports, creative artist agency ashley levinson, producer steve levitan, writer/ep alexandra levy, writer david levy, partner, wme entertainment david levy, founder and ceo, back nine ventures marcus levy, agent, wme richard b. levy, managing director, executive talent management, p.c. michelle lewis, executive director/songwriter, sona micha liberman, president, mind meld arts chuck liddell, ufc hall of famer marc lieberman, president, above average productions sean liebowitz, agent, caa sydney lipsitz, chief of staff, caa cory litwin, managing partner, music, range media partners steve lobel, ceo, lmg jonathan lomma, lawyer, wme alexandria longo, director of pr/publicist, blended strategy group david lonner, ceo, the david lonner co. jonathan lonner, partner, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, p.c. george lopez, comedian/actor amy lord, ceo, eris talent agency dean lorey, showrunner bryan lourd, ceo, caa richard lovett, co chairman, caa doug lucterhand, agent kris lythgoe, tv producer nigel lythgoe, president, nigel lythgoe productions meghan mackenzie, agent, wme ben maddahi, svp a&r, columbia records + president, unrestricted publishing & mgmt allysa mahler, partner, wme melissa malkin, literary manager, bep howie mandel, comedian jamie mandelbaum, co president, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein chris mann, singer/actor gabriel mann, composer/producer daniel march, managing partner, dynamic television vanessa marcil, actress deborah marcus, executive, caa ashlee margolis, founder, the a list susan markheim, full stop mgt., the azoff company rob markus, talent agent, wme orly marley, president, tuff gong worldwide ziggy marley, musician rebecca marlis, vp, publicity, interscope records ori marmur, vp, original studio film, netflix chris marrs, writer / producer sarah martin, senior legal counsel emea, wme john mass, president, content partners, llc nancy matalon, vp of a&r, spirit music group andrew mathes, partner, wme austin matloff, coordinator, broadway video arielle matza, associate attorney, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, p.c. haim mazar, president, haim mazar music, llc david mazouz, actor rebecca mazouz, assistant, plan c productions michel j. mazouz md, physician paul mccrane, actor judith mccreary, executive producer, griot, inc allison mcgregor, agent, caa deborah mcintosh, agent, wme michael mckean, actor aj mclean, music artist, backstreet boys david mcmillan, tv writer/producer barry mcpherson, partner/executive vp of talent, iag brian medavoy, partner, more medavoy management william mercer, partner, thruline entertainment debra messing, actor tom miceli, agent, wme adam milch, writer/producer daniel miller, president, ironbound films, inc. rina mimoun, warner brothers arika mittman, showrunner/executive producer mike mizanin, wwe personality alfred molina, actor jordana mollick, president and co founder, semi formal productions carolyn moneta, partner, wme tony morales, composer erwin more, founding partner, more/medavoy management jessica morgulis, talent manager, authentic marcy morris, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein rob morrow, actor meg mortimer, partner and manager, authentic talent and literary management michele mulrooney, partner, willkie farr & gallagher llp ryan murphy, writer/director/producer talia myers, agent, uta dj nash, creator/executive producer, a million little things chen neeman, songwriter, chen neeman music brie neimand, svp current, cable and streaming, cbs studios noah nelson, writer, gumballs and stickers paul nelson, manager, mosaic lauren neustadter, president, film & tv, hello sunshine eric newman, film and tv producer robert newman, agent, wme alan nierob, chairman, entertainment, rcpmk amaury nolasco, actor sharona nomder, morse artists howard nuchow, co head, caa sports lisa nupoff, manager, imin music annette o’toole, actress, mike o’malley, actor/writer tracy ann oberman, actress julie oh, film producer, ohco michael ohoven, producer, ceo, infinity media peter oillataguerre, head of production jim osborne, ceo, independent artist group sharon osbourne claudia oshry, comedian and podcast host scott packman, founder and managing member, ssp partners llc jaime paglia, writer/producer/director, two joes entertainment richard palmese, president, palmese entertsinment lucienne papon, evp, creative affairs, itv studios renee pappas, consultant, heritage auctions joshua pasch, manager, authentic talent & literary management jared paul, founder, faculty josh peck, actor shauna perlman, talent agent, caa numa perrier, filmmaker sara pervil, business affairs executive, caa jack peterson, assistant, 3 arts entertainment andrea pett, talent manager, bep mekhi phifer, actor brian pianko, head of creative advertising, paramount pictures chris pine, actor naomi pitt, front office coordinator jeremy piven, comedian/actor jonah platt, actor/jewish advocate wendy plaut, svp, paramount eric podwall, president, podwall entertainment margrit polak, president, anne frank la/president margrit polak management daria polatin, showrunner/executive producer, 1001 pictures alissa pollack, evp, global music marketing, iheartmedia billy porter, artist, incognegro cami potter, tv talent, caa dani potter, tv scripted partner, wme ava poulson, london mailroom, wme monique powell, sole owner, lead entertainer, save ferris mike praw, entertainment executive dawn prestwich, writer/showrunner rhonda price, manager partner, the gersh agency bryan rabin, president/founder, bryan rabin inc sylvie rabineau, co head, book to film/tv, wme gideon raff, writer director jazmin rangel, director of vo, eris talent agency ross raphael, partner, wme ellen rapoport, writer/producer/director ron rappaport, writer/executive producer, that’s a rapp productions ron rauch, vfx editor, hbo max adam reed, actor dani reis, manager, friends at work nashville remedy, artist david renzer, chairman & co founder of ccfp & former chairman/ceo, universal music publishing peter riegert, actor seth robbins, actor sebastian roché, actor hanna rochelle, founder, purple productions llc rich rogers samantha ronson, dj/songwriter dan rosen, president, warner music australasia rick rosen, co founder, endeavor michael rosenbaum, actor erez rosenberg, partner, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein julie rosenberg, account manager, vevo melissa rosenfield, founder, ifp communications shep rosenman, lawyer, rlg llp philip rosenthal, writer/producer shani rosenzweig, partner & talent agent, uta claudia rosha, marketing manager, atlantic records jeffrey ross, comedian/actor sydney ross, script coordinator, hulu michael rotenberg, partner, 3 arts entertainment eli roth, director harrison rothman, manager, elevate entertainment robert rothman, managing partner, rothman brecher ehrich livingston kate rothschild, artist manager, roc nation amanda rovitz, manager, 1916 management autumn rowe, singer/songwriter mike royce, tv writer/producer, snowpants productions olivia rudensky, ceo, fanmade josh rudnick, talent manager/producer, mosaic danny rukasin, co founder/manager, best friends music stacy rukeyser, tv writer and showrunner olesya rulina, actor, rain management jason ryterband, music editor, ryterband music haim saban, chairman and ceo, saban capital group eric sacks, partner, grubman shire meiselas & sacks kirk saduski, producer carin sage, evp feature film, skydance rebecca sahim, head of publishing, salxco rochel saks, manager, saks& ira sallen, executive advisor doron salomon, head of football operations, caa base peter sample, partner, jackoway austen nancy sanders, partner, thruline entertainment scott sanders, producer, sgs pictures ashlie sapiro, director of drama development, hbomax mark satlof, sr vice president, shore fire media jacqueline saturn, president, virgin music ben savage, actor fred savage, director malina saval, editor in chief, pasadena magazine/contributing editor, variety murray sawchuk, itz gone productions jeff schaffer, writer/director/ep leslie schapira, writer/producer brad schenck, agent, caa thomas scherer, president, bmg elyse scherz, agent/partner ayelet schiffman, svp head of promotions, island records hayden schlossberg, filmmaker/showrunner steve schnur, worldwide executive & music president, electronic arts liev schreiber, actor amy schumer, comedian/actress jordan schur, ceo and chairman, mimran schur pictures and suretone entertainment joseph schwartz, agent, uta robert schwartz, attorney, quinn emanuel sam schwartz, co principal, gorfaine/schwartz agency sherrie schwartz, chro, caa susan schwarz, partner, sdb partners sarah scott, managing partner, lapolt law scott seidel, talent agent, endeavor jerry seinfeld, actor/comedian barrett sellers, agent, wme camila seta, executive, brand consulting stefi shabashev, songwriter jason shapiro, creative director, collab peter shapiro, founder, dayglo presents rebecca shapiro, senior vp, shore fire media keto shimizu, writer/producer rona lee shimon, actor larry shire, partner, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, p.c. kevin shivers, agent, wme iliza shlesinger, comedian david shore, writer /executive producer, sony/the good doctor noah “westside gravy” shufutinsky, artist ally shuster, agent, caa alan siegel, president, alan siegel entertainment & g base mark siegel, agent, caa chris silbermann, agent, caa jeremy silver, producer/songwriter ben silverman, chairman and co ceo, propagate content laura silverman, actress craig silverstein, writer/producer gail simmons, president/host/producer, gms media inc drew simon, president, infrared pictures ralph simon, chairman & ceo, mobilium global limited tamar simon, owner, mean streets management marty singer, attorney, lavely and singer robert singer, writer/producer, dec.3rd productions bedi singh, board director dilprit singh, accounting manager, mosaic brad slater, partner, agent, wme gregory slewett, partner, johnson shapiro slewtt kole robert smigel, writer/ep michael jonathan smith, showrunner, sony pictures television dee snider, music artist, twisted sister nicole snyder, writer & producer aliza sokolow, author jeff sosnow, evp a&r, warner bros. records john david souther, songwriter/musician/artist fred specktor, agent, caa dana spector, agent, caa donna spievak, vp of strategic marketing, interscope records sheldon sroloff, caa michelle stafford, actress ira stahlberger, partner, wme halle stanford, president of television, the jim henson company daniel stanton, president, coallier entertainment noelle stehman, showrunner hank steinberg, president, channel road productions kj steinberg, writer/producer bradie steinlauf, talent agent, caa jonathan steinsapir, partner, kinsella holley iser kump steinsapir sandra stern, vice chairman, television group, lionsgate gary stiffelman, founder, gss law willie “prophet” stiggers, co founder/chair, black music action coalition brittany stone, ceo, stone talent agency wendy straker hauser, showrunner and executive producer rachel strassberger, manager, grassroots music noa sturgeon, agent assistant, wme geoff suddleson, partner, uta margaux susi, director/actor assaf swissa, co founder, coast productions aaron symonds, film composer fernando szew, ceo, marvista entertainment and fox entertainment global traci szymanski, president, co star entertainment nina tassler, president, tassler, inc. adam taylor, president, apm music irit tenhengel, producer, yodan ltd. scott tenley, ceo, mrc mitch tenzer, partner, ziffren brittenham llp dannielle thomas, vice president, untitled entertainment jessica thomas, talent agent, wm agency michael thorn, president, scripted programming, fox entertainment bella thorne, actress noa tishby, author, producer, former special envoy for combatting antisemitism niv toar fred toczek, partner, felker toczek suddleson abramson mcginnis ryan llp bianca tomash, strategic advisor, bjea shaun toub, actor sam trammell, actor stacy traub, writer/producer jonathan tropper, showrunner, n/a eric tuchman, writer, producer + president, goldensoul inc. montana tucker, music artist brad turell, chief marketing and communications officer, independent artist group dor turgeman, football player, maccabi tel aviv oded turgeman, president, the operating room ronli tzour, vp, marketing & artist management, fae grp jonny umansky, writer / producer eleanor vainshtok, sr director, music berni vann, agent marsha vlasic, vice chairman, iag music, independent artist group alex voihanski, president, paramount business group debbie von arx, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein jeremy vuernick, president of a&r, capitol music group darah wagner boaz, producer matt walden, producer, walden entertainment cymbre walk sklar, vp, casting, feature animation at netflix don walker, president, harry walker agency llc diane warren, songwriter, producer joshua washington, artist/producer nina wass, producer michael h. weber, screenwriter steven weber, actor jon weinbach, president, skydance sports alex weingarten, managing partner, los angeles, willkie farr & gallagher llp nola weinstein, entertainment executive marc weinstock, president of worldwide distribution and marketing, paramount pictures allison weintraub, writer andrea weintraub, agent, caa evan weiss, co founder and ceo, streaming ink media greg weiss, manager/producer, wonder street matthew weiss, assistant gina welch, writer and producer titus welliver, actor ilana wernick, writer/producer alan wertheimer, attorney jonathan west, attorney ron west, partner, thruline entertainment lee white, agent, wme modi wiczyk, co founder, co chairman, mrc joanne wiles, partner/producer, black bear pictures deborah williams, associate director, freelance sabrina wind, executive producer, wpm evan winiker, managing partner, range media yale wolman, agent, caa don wongprapan, partner, authentic talent & literary management anne woodward, partner/manager, authentic talent + literary adrian woolfe, ceo, studio 1 melissa worth, wonder, artistic license alexandra wright, actor michael yanover, head of business development, caa sharon tal yguado, founder & ceo, astrid entertainment kevin yorn, founder & managing partner, yorn levine entertainment law firm rick yorn, co founder, lbi entertainment mark young, ceo, the orion stars group jonathan yunger, film/tv producer stefanie yunger, actor/comedian/writer chris zaccaria, sr. director, sales analytics laurie zaks, executive producer, rosewood television alex zamm, director/screenwriter, zammgate ent. derek zasky, department head/agent, wme david zedeck, global co head of music, uta jennifer zeller, vp, promotion, interscope records ian ziering, actor josh zilberberg, influencer melissa zukerman, managing partner, principal communications group jessica zysberg, manager, marketing solutions, vevo music artists coalition (mac) black music action coalition (bmac) songwriters of n america (sona) additional signers: mark schiff, comedian adam biren, tv agent, caa paul craig, founder, nostromo vanessa livingston, agent, rbel agency tom rothman, chairman & ceo, sony pictures entertainment greg grunberg, actor guy nattiv, filmmaker bruce resnikov, president and ceo, universal music enterprises john fogerty, musician julie fogerty asher angel, actor gary goetzman, producer cedric kyles, actor/producer samantha levenshus, writer/producer richard trank, documentary filmmaker, moriah films jeremy norkin, president, exile music carly rosenberg, business affairs executive, caa oded raz, director/filmmaker, raz production bryan terry, head of development, vice tv melanie greene, vp, finance, above average productions antony gordon, managing director, adeptus partners/ceo, ag productions jennifer duberstein, head of sports business affairs, caa sports diane mayer, ceo/founder, crown jules entertainment dan carrillo levy, writer/director, moxie 88 logan binstock, agent, caa gregg rossen, screenwriter stephany hurkos, personal manager, stephany hurkos management jessica pollack, talent strategy executive, uta marla levine, attorney/producer/consultant andrew lear, partner/agent, uta ben bruskin, tv traffic coordinator, allen media group steve bornfeld, writer/editor, freelance linda lichter, attorney, founding partner, lichter, grossman, nichols, adler feldman and clark, inc. scott stone, president, stone & company entertainment mark canton, ceo & producer, canton entertainment robert kamen, writer itay reiss, manager/producer, artists first stephanie davis, literary manager, wetdog entertainment sean canino, president of television, mcfarlane films llc barry schkolnick, writer/producer, schoolboy productions, inc richard rionda del castro, ceo, hannibal media lawrence scot deutchman, producer, great escape entertainment, llc jeff hynick, partner, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein john ondrasik, singer songwriter, five for fighting erik arnold, writer/linguist sean elliott, partner/office head/talent manager, authentic talent & literary management sadaf muncy, svp, development and production, happynest entertainment dean cain, filmmaker brandi george, ceo, presse public relations roger friedman, owner, www.showbiz411.com marc klein, screenwriter, birdy num num inc eytan keller, president, keller productions, inc adam schweitzer, talent agent, caa james stoteraux, writer/showrunner david hunt, owner, fourboys entertainment chad fiveash, writer/showrunner adam rosen, partner, grubman shire meiselas & sacks, p.c. kevin misher, principal, misher films nathaniel bear, filmmaker, nat bear media/4m reviews deborah gilels, publicist, lamedia consultants lionel chetwynd, writer/director/producer dick atkins, producer, a films, llc wayne fitterman, agent, wme gloria carlin, actor ellen h. schwartz, film producer larry webman, agent, wasserman emily gerson saines, founding manager/producer, brookside artist management michael skloff, composer, msm joshua feldman, writer cory richman, manager, liebman entertainment sharon paz, senior talent agent, a3 artists agency jonathan rubenstein, producer, crystal city entertainment leah yerushalaim, agent, caa brian liebman, manager, liebman entertainment david bickel, writer/producer samantha nisenboim, producer ruchel freibrun, marketing specialist david caspi, journalist, golden globes tommy finkelstein, head of business affairs, independent artist group peter biegen, writer patrick j. nicolas, actor constantin werner, writer/director/producer, rusalka film jordan silverberg, head of music, wild card creative group susie arons, president, strategic communications, 42west ben winston, partner, fulwell 73 jeff refold, coo & cfo, ryan seacrest productions robert lantos, producer, serendipity point films beth schwartz, showrunner gideon yago, writer mel nieves, actor/playwright/screenwriter/arts educator phyllis strong, writer beverly d’angelo, actor ron mix, retired professional football player shyla la’sha, actor ellen lafair, president, big top marketing and promotions, inc. robert siegel, writer/showrunner mitchell gossett, talent manager, industry entertainment john fogelman, ceo, factorymade ventures tanisha harper, actress, mariko entertainment jonathan golfman, co president film, mrc allen kates, ghostwriter/author, holbrook street press hannah li paz, assistant, echo lake management harris doran, writer/director/producer lawrence kopeikin, entertainment lawyer, kopeikin law pc cindi berger, chairman, r&cpmk patricia marin, producer, marin group productions andrew carlberg, producer yariv milchan, chairman and ceo, new regency ashley adler, voice actor ben goldmanrobert zaccano, executive producer, little theatre of mechanicsburg ali axelrad, actor trevor raine bush, actor nancy belle novello hahn, owner/founder iread2know radio network iheartradio, iheartradio ann kline, music supervisor jennifer kim, sr manager, the walt disney company e randolph kielich, visual & photographic artist, broken light inc. dawn solér, president, working music entertainment llc william todd levinson, actor, independent jessica kaminsky, writer/producer gary mantoosh, partner, the initiative group oliver ewy, actor beth milstein, writer eric slee, data analyst, writers guild of america west julia mcarthur, actor matt galsor, partner, greenberg glusker jessica sharzer, screenwriter eileen o’farrell, owner/manager, eileen o’farrell personal management tair biton, producer, one night only scott rosenbaum, showrunner/writer sam kott, producer howard brande, president & executive producer, brain bucket productions, llc hodayah miller, executive assistant, hbo jan kovac, film editor emma andrus, filmmaker amy elmer, events, caa danielle nebel, actress dorit rochelle, publicist kevin gimble, agent lars sylvest, producer lawrence bender, producer, lawrence bender productions naomi bulochnikov paul, evp, publicity & head of communications, disney entertainment ashley kline shapiro, vice president, publicity, abc entertainment liza chasin, producer, 3dot productions michael diamond, partner/talent agent, mgmt entertainment sheri rosenberg kelton, ceo/literary and talent manager, srk entertainment jay weisleder, film & tv producer, fuego films kristin konig, talent manager, mgmt. entertainment diana garelik, manager, original content post production, imax theodore bressman, writer andy hirsch, actor leonard fisher, music engineer, l. f. productions claire kennedy, writer, baby banana productions gary shlifer, director/dp paul farberman, president, paul farberman entertainment robert golenberg, partner, silver lining entertainment productions melanie elman, talent agent, gersh maggie lane, writer/producer, the maggie lane company lindsay arends, actress scott weinger, writer/actor sarah abrams, artist kia kamran, attorney, kia kamran p.c. esther hornstein, producer candi zell, actor joshua jolcover, editor, dunphy films, inc. marc gerber, retired film marketing executive/creative advertising producer isabelle marcus, ceo sally ware, manager, industry entertainment stu levy, founder and ceo, tokyopop josh radnor, actor/writer/director steven warner, actor/writer/director, trove films larry webster, president, media magik entertainment courtney kivowitz, owner/partner, mgmt. entertainment aron baumel, partner, goodman, genow, schenkman, smelkinson & christopher, llp stephen sewell, screenwriter, ism films roger kumble, writer/director kevin asch, director ben goldman, a&r, onerpm ori marmur, vp, original studio film, netflix jay levy, writer/producer, jay levy entertainment oran zegman, film/tv director, van zegman films marty adelstein, ceo, tomorrow studio zosia mamet, actor mor muriel naim, director/writer anna green, promoter, exceptional artists shira gross, actor tara august, president, a type, inc. henry selick, animation director, twitching image inc. adam kanter, partner, head of motion picture literary, a3 artists agency stacey sher, film and television producer, shiny penny productions russell schwartz, head of business affairs, starz peter levinsohn, chairman, global distribution, nbcuniversal studio group todd rubenstein, partner, yorn levine limor gott ronen, executive producer, gott films maor azran, producer, ma productions andy given, evp production administration, sony howard benson, producer, judge & jury records sheryl feuerstein, agency owner, eastwest media mollie fermaglich, writer constance schwartz morini, managing partner/co founder, smac entertainment jonathan prince, president, philmco media zoey grayce, actress jennifer dietz, partner/founder, animal law attorneys, pa marnie briskin, talent manager, circle of confusion evan silver, director, reformschool.tv david kendall, writer/director alicia karlin, vp, global touring, aeg presents romeo santiago, location scout & manager, romeo santiago & co joe montifiore, president, rafterman media marc brownstein, bass player/co founder, the disco biscuits/headcount john jacobs, producer, smart entertainment peter bochner, editor paul pflug, managing partner, pcg kevin farley, artist nacho arenas, founder, planeo films marty callner, director, cream cheese films alex berechet, location scout odeya rush, actress pierce o’donnell, partner, greenberg glusker llp jeffrey moon, video editor andi howard, artist manager/record company executive, andi howard entertainment/peak records bob ringe, ceo, anime entertainment llc dan signer, writer/producer viviane telio, film agent, verve adva reichman, writer/director wayne tighe, chairman and ceo, the tighe group entertainment, llc nami melumad, composer richard wolf, producer/composer, the producers lab, inc. roni weissman, filmmaker josh schaer, writer/producer mendel goldman, musical artist, born entertainment marie minnich, website developer, lyrics on demand david margolis, photographer david rowell, associate professor, arts and entertainment management, dean college martin masadao, production designer mary jo mennella, ceo, music asset management, inc. lisa rockoff, freelance make up artist david lasky, producer, david jay lasky productions lynn silver, actress/writer annah boyer, actor dana kaminski, actor, voiceover billy schwartz, film acquisitions/sales, quiver distribution karen maine, writer/director julie hermelin, managing partner, gutsy media julie carson, retired sales manager, warner bros camila seta, executive, caa john kreidman, producer gary pearl, television and film producer, aquarius content sharon hart green, writer michael burwick, president, strategic sports, media & entertainment llc charlotte lichtman, agent, caa ethan landzberg, independent producer louis allen epstein, agent/entertainer/head writer, best entertainers/adamsdavy productions cheryl watson, retired theatre teacher/acting coach bonnie greenberg, music supervisor/professor, ocean cities entertainment/nyu douglas denning, screenwriter iddo goldberg, actor charles horn, writer louise o’brien moran, vp production & deputy film commissioner, manitoba film & music tory howard, vice president/partner, atlas artists matt sherman, talent manager, matt sherman management douglas edley, talent agent, uta jessica kantor, agent, uta frederic richter, archival producer/consultant emily brundige, animation writer/showrunner scott halle, president, gramercy park entertainment jess parker, actor brett gursky, writer/director/producer, magic hour danielle solzman, film critic, solzy at the movies barry weiss, academy member ann cherkis, writer/producer christopher lussier, producer, hollywood motion pictures anastasia pozhidaeva, screenwriter gary kaplan, singer/performance artist james cullen bressack, director/producer, sandaled kid productions natalie shampanier, screenwriter inon shampanier, writer/director mark owens, ceo, rogers & cowan/pmk dani o, producer kevin walsh, producer, the walsh company allan mandelbaum, producer, imagine shelly amor, artist brian schneiderman, writer heidi peaster, author jarrett furst, producer holly spiegel, engagement manager, motion picture television fund cheynne moye, streamer/content creator/activists, twitch howard stein, film professional suzanne scara, writer, active ingredients vincent brown, writer, completely plausible prod. susan gurman, theatrical agent, gurman agency llc michelle de vries, music supervisor, extra mile music mary beth leidman, host/producer linda kessler, artist sarajane robinson, actor risa miller, novelist danny cohen, president, access entertainment maksim kunin, president, banyan communications dagmar jaeger, visual artist marc simonsson, film and tv agent, soloson media limited paul richman, director, pr films david thurman, musician, aweberry records marnie salsky, documentarian deborah hall, writer fredric london, actor winfried hammacher, producer, wmg films jack ferdman, film critic/podcaster, rewatching oscar podcast anne smith, hairdresser/makeup artist kenneth slotnick, ceo, agi entertainment media & management, llc jacob marko, television producer/artist miriam spritzer, entertainment journalist, golden globes marian wolf, chief of staff and svp us publishing, bmg brian stern, partner, agi entertainment media & management edward fletcher, musician thomas arslan, director steve kline, president/coo, better noise entertainment ftv teubner, artist steven cohen, writer robert harris, founding partner, lazarus & harris llp victoria selman, author gregor tholl, author/journalist na’ama keha, filmmaker max nagler, agent, verve talent & literary agency thomas lynch, retired actor ben solenberger, actor marilee albert, producer/author, amicus pictures richard wright, podcaster host/producer, tpfp matt torres, artist kadia saraf, actor and writer terry serpico, actor/writer leslie litt, sr. casting executive, amazon mgm studios betty pillk, actor victoria gordon, actress/singer/writer robin blick, musician andrew atkinson, actor/musician, chapel music company ross warner, writer, operation thunderball udo kulvinder jolly, actor/playwright vicky asher, singer david livingston, director andreas galk, author david stone, artist manager, prf management jim smith, writer, 2thirteen22 productions benjamin shekelbergstein, producer/director, new world studios, inc. mark landesman, business manager/ceo, ml management partners mandore oviedo, writer/producer, fenna productions diana hoffman, president, music with confidence meirav zur, actor/producer cheryl bloch, partner, backyard pix homer hickam, writer/author, h3 author susan cartsonis, partner, resonate entertainment alyssa rosenheck, author, speaker & photographer dina smith, production david kanter, manager/producer/partner, anonymous content erika rosenheim, talent manager jeff greenberg, senior vp, gersh suzanne farwell, producer clément bauer, producer, resonate entertainment tim mckinney, actor/director/producer, cubed five productions kaci christian, retired tv news anchor & investigative reporter aaron sandler, producer, lot 2160 sharlene martin, president, martin literary management lisa moran, production, the alan parker film company susan sofayov, author david rose, partner, pryor cashman llp jonathan sturm, director, hr, mlb network debbie peiser, director/writer oriana larusso, social media influencer chris collins, producer, purposeful pictures michael chait, director, tmu pictures, llc sandy sabean, ceo, merity, llc david eisman, partner, head of entertainment group, skadden emily greenberg hogan, 1st assistant director ross kohn, producer catherine rich, executive producer maxwell weberman, l&od, endeavor carole davis, actor lindsay fabes, actor/director/singer geoffrey cantor, actor duff berschback, lawyer, concord music publishing karynne tencer, pr exec, tencer & associates sloan roberts, actor iris bahr, actor/author robert glynn, writer/director/editor/camera operator david singer, co chair, content, media & entertainment, jenner & block llp hal burg, ceo, brandview adam rodman, writer micah d. sjerven, freelance filmmaker rafael marmor, founder, delirio films eric kranzler, manager/producer, entertainment 360 carly sadolf, actress/producer beth delany, writer jim heath, teacher/writer/actor scott ratner, coo, obb media kyria collins, singer songwriter maxim rowlands, pianist chris dawson, visual effects artist allison estrin, casting director, allison estrin casting suzi steiger, freelance art dealer/curator/writer d.j. gugenheim, president/partner, incognegro productions samuel cohen, actor arthur spector, head of film & tv, epic michael feldman, actor dalia ganz, svp digital marketing, warner records marc stone, filmmaker, banjo films jen lanter, director, shtarkcontrast nathan kaye, actor/musician/music producer/composer, new realms films, australia max perlman, actor jordan serlin, writer/agent/inventor, warner bros. records/icm/pacific swan toby emmerich, producer, fireside films peter vogel, producer, blank slate pictures rebecca shapiro, writer/director, not even the chair productions phylis rossi, actor eric eskenazi, founder, brooklyn digital media, inc. narayan & janet baltzo, musicians/songwriters, love bus music unlimited natalie cassoni, curator, artist, cassoni design gallery michelle satter, founding senior director, sundance institute kiersten lipkin, choreographer/dance educator larry kunofsky, writer michael glouberman, writer/producer, global robot david c. tam, actor/writer/producer, telesis design and development justin hires, actor, hire level productions saul blinkoff, executive producer/director, life of awesome! cindy bond, founder/ceo, mission pictures international jacob abrams, executive director, abrams theatre project iris helfand, retired, theatrical wardrobe union 764 nyc golan ramraz, writer/producer, egx film factory eric schrier, president, disney television studios scott pollack, president, a to z media matthew tishler, songwriter/producer william schmidt, writer/producer, edelson productiobs bruce cohen, producer, bold choices productions roslyn cohn, actress greg goetzman, ceo, goetzman group alex astrachan, director of development, permut presentations david permut, president, permut presentations jill littman, partner, impression entertainment ari luxenberg, senior vice president, business affairs, paramount television studios joshua rothstein, ceo/founder, ice cream for dinner kevin lin, co founder, twitch stacy harris, publisher/executive editor, stacy’s music row report mark rogers, musician, abovewaters indy nizar aghri, writer timotius samanuli, director, emos global digital virtic emil brown, filmmaker, artist studio prods. tim clemente, writer/producer, xg productions jay karas, director laurence miller, producer, nimax theatres birgit grebenstein, sound technician mitchell james kaplan, author sheila richey, tv/film producer, george richey family music gero worstbrock, head of legal & business affairs, constantin film vered danovitch, actor, lav richard motzkin, evp & managing executive, global soccer, wasserman matt greenberg, managing partner, greenberg chopurian valencia & associates, llp neil silvert, president and owner, your grey matters podcast john benjamin david tatum, actor/producer/director matthew mishory, director iyar hartogs, influencer manager dan bleiwas, former major league baseball scout lisa cohen, president, associated booking corp. sabrina nudeliman wagon, ceo, elo studios peter tordai, chief creative officer, white dog al rain, songwriter/producer tahj mowry, actor val stulman, writer/actor/educator jonathan kier, co founder, upgrade productions gary gilbert, producer, gilbert films jennifer joel, co head, caa books, caa larry klein, record producer/musician, strange cargo inc alan zweibel, tv writer/screenwriter/playwright/author patrick schabus, publishing director, the friendly facts seth faber, svp artist & label strategy, stem distribution sylvanna seydel, actress/costumer, made with mischief yehuda siegal, actor betty jo butler, talent agent and producer, resilient films studios daniel finkelman, producer/director, danielfinkelmanfilms.com michael drebert, creative director, resilient films studios joseph browns, film set designer zach calig, writer/producer greg hoffman, actor hallie brookman, agent, uta victoria cook, partner, frankfurt kurnit ed buller, composer/producer/musician, who’ll ever have me freddie green, writer/director andrea jolly, actor simon halfon, producer, nemperor ltd steve luna, actor/filmmaker ricky kirshner, producer, kirshner events jacob schiff, agent, caa gerald petievich, writer, charles carr productions inc allegra israel, games producer allyson taylor, actress, aqua talent don swayze, actor josh roehl, singer/songwriter patricia randell, actor bill mccarty, comedian/actor judy friedman, general counsel, philmco media dmitry borshch, artist michal shany, entertainment attorney david blackman, evp, head of film &tv development and production, universal music group declan joyce, actor/writer/producer, irish magic inc. kellie adan, spiritual director/writer michele robins, artist michael black, singer/songwriter/artist alan bradley, author/songwriter richard klagsbrun, writer/composer michael porter, director, netflix stanley herman, actor/writer/music publisher, jordan/herman/holmes jon keidan, trustee, george gershwin godowsky trust adam gershwin, manager, marc george gershwin llc lj strunsky, managing director, the ira gershwin music estate nataliya kirakozova, film director, founder, dva kapitana misha aranyshev, editor, dva kapitana dan liebman, actor ross buckley, senior business development manager, prime video brett rosen, motion picture agent, endeavor beth suckiel, artist, east linden avenue iris joon, artist, blair records & publishing marshall blair cohn, musician/composer/ceo, blair records & publishing peter samuelson, ceo, philmco media llc gerry tamber, lead singer/mandolin, the shade tree pickers bluegrass band seth oster, chief corporate affairs officer, the wonderful company michael pasternak, actor, founder, the amazing bottle dancers david kantrowitz, musician sam schifrien, founder/content development & production, 93 cedar cathryn wadden, costumer jan kunesh, exec director, production finance, 20th television robert avrech, screenwriter sharon lieblein, casting director, sharon lieblein casting orly sitowitz, casting director bob kushell, writer/producer jeffrey bank, ceo, alicart 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ascap sara laffer, executive, wme orna rachovitsky, actress/producer/filmmaker, goldart films orestes matacena, actor/producer/writer/director, goldart films david herman, documentary director, double shot films kos omisrael, ceo, kos entertainment dolores delaney, writer rhonda gale, business affairs consultant kirk acevedo, actor talin chaturantabut, actor john winfield, president and chairman, intergroup corp. neil blair, founding partner, the blair partnership marilyn lindsay, production accountant amanda alley, creative executive, skydance media jim jackoway, attorney, jackoway austen tyerman wertheimer mandelbaum morris bernstein trattner & klein ben jacobs, writer steven keslowitz, attorney and author aaron wilson, writer/artist richard cannon, photographer nina mueller, translator & actor, comm art leo pearlman, managing partner, fulwell 73 nicholas frenkel, partner, 3 arts entertainment rebecca wicking, actor/singer mark mason, playwright keith lucas, filmmaker, lbmc joanne horowitz, ceo, joanne horowitz management rod lurie, film writer/director, perfection hunter productions raquel munoz, production executive scott baker, ceo/founder, riverarch ventures llc alexander ney, artist joel ney, independent creative frank eckhardt, artist noah munro lehrman, musician/writer bar maman, artist, art by bar jamie conviser, music producer, the walt disney company roland ronge, photographer/artist dvora englefield, partner/head of music artist strategy, wme brian ross, writer/producer david sacks, executive producer hannah lowy, writer/director bernd schuller, artist & scientist will daws, creative director, plum pictures rinne b. groff, playwright/performer lori silfen, head of mgm music, mgm/amazon studios jacob elyachar, chief content producer writer/podcast host michelle jubelirer, chair & ceo, capitol music group andrew heinze, playwright, new york city, american renaissance theater company adam butterfield, producer/actor lisa mierke, manager, mosaic bruce kirschbaum, writer/producer chaim and stephanie glicken, co founders, digilicious media llc julia rymer brucker, artist/art educator lloyd braun, producer sarah agor, actress/producer nathan ross, producer jonnie forster, founder, the penthouse sarah ulicny, writer holly hubsher, svp, bay mills studios michael rubinoff, theatre producer bruna papandrea, founder/producer, made up stories mitchell akselrad, writer/producer liran nathan, actor fred raskin, film editor sasha valenti, artist david friendly, film/tv producer, friendly films allison eden, glass mosaic artist sasha valenti, artist rachel morrissey, artist lisa edelstein, actress/artist harel sharon, editor in chief, con art magazine wyatt benny, songwriter/filmmaker, 327 films david hedges, writer seth saltzman, musician/music professional zoe manor, designer/producer emily leonard, music talent publicity assistant, the lede company victor fresco, writer/executive producer adam shulman, manager/producer, anonymous content sarah flack, film editor steve sackstein, background actor chloe traicos, actress, mia tunsgate films jonathan kadin, producer, kadincreative suzanne yacowitz dragan, executive director, red wolf productions inc. dan ilani, ceo, us kids george bullock, musician eli tell, writer jenny mollen, writer david marc, actor josh jobett, actor kario salem, screenwriter/songwriter, moonshot/lepel colin mochrie, actor jessica held, producer cathy lawrence, production manager, sony pictures animation esther kustanowitz, writer & podcast host eric corwin, former tv sports producer, abc7 los angeles shamgar amram, actor cris patwa, ceo, el rey jessica leventhal, writer lee goldberg, writer alan anderson, artist sharon adler, journalist/photographer, aviva berlin ellen drantch billet, talent agent, stewart talent lara fried, producer david keith, film editor and producer, cinebyte production sal iacono, writer/performer matt greenberg, managing partner, greenberg, chopurian valencia & associates, llp 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supported by as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer, he fostered a community of musicians on the outskirts of americana. by clay risen jeremy tepper, who over a long and varied career as a journalist, singer, label owner and radio producer championed the anarchic, high energy music that straddled the lines separating country, rock, punk and plain old americana, died on june 14 in queens. he was 60. his wife, the musician laura cantrell, said the cause of death, at elmhurst hospital, was a heart attack. born in upstate new york and educated in manhattan, mr. tepper was perhaps an unlikely apostle for a style of music variously called alt  or outlaw country, but which he preferred to call “rig rock”   the sort of sounds favored by long haul truck drivers. far from the big hats and ostrich skin boots of nashville’s lower broadway, it is the music one might hear coming from honky tonks, jukeboxes, truck stops and big rig radios, the greasy corners of americana that mr. tepper celebrated with unironic joy. “it is taking all that truck driving music   streamlined, guitar based country rock   and dragging it onto the modern interstate,” he told newsday in 1990. mr. tepper was rig rock’s greatest fan and biggest booster. he wrote about it for publications like pulse and the journal of country music, and for his own magazine, street beat, which was dedicated to jukeboxes and the music one found in them.

 "keep in mind when brothas start flexing the verbal skillz, it always reflects what's going on politically, socially, and economical/y."   musician davey d in recent years, controversy surrounding rap music has been in the forefront of the american media. from the hype of the east coast west coast rivalry that shadowed the murders of rappers tupac shakur and notorious b.i.g. to the demonization of modem music in the wake of school shootings in littleton, colorado, it seems that political and media groups have been quick to place blame on rap for a seeming trend in youth violence. however, though critics are quick to point out the violent lyrics of some rappers, they are missing the point of rap's message. rap, like other forms of music, cannot be understood unless it is studied without the frame of its historical and social context. today's rap music reflects its origin in the hip hop culture of young, urban, working class african americans, its roots in the african oral tradition, its function as the voice of an otherwise underrepresented group, and, as its popularity has grown, its commercialization and appropriation by the music industry. hip hop music is generally considered to have been pioneered in new york's south bronx in 1973 by jamaican born kool dj herc. at a halloween dance party thrown by his younger sister, herc used an innovative turntable technique to stretch a song's drum break by playing the break portion of two identical records consecutively. the popularity of the extended break lent its name to "breakdancing"  a style specific to hip hop culture, which was facilitated by extended drumbreaks played by djs at new york dance parties. by the mid 1970s, new york's hip hop scene was dominated by seminal turntablists dj grandmaster flash, afrika bambaataa, and herc. the rappers of sugarhill gang produced hip hop's first commercially successful hit, "rapper's delight," in 1979'. rap itself  the rhymes spoken over hip hop music  began as a commentary on the ability  or "skillz"  of a particular dj while that dj was playing records at a hip hop event.