Looks like Neil Young isn’t the only veteran rocker with quality on his mind; The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir has teamed with Rdio on a program the company is calling “Artists for Quality.” In a blog post, the company has dubbed the initiative a mission “to ignite and lead discussions on inequity in streaming audio…

Separating yourself in any business endeavor lies at the heart of every entrepreneur. It’s critical as to avoid being lumped together with the “rest,” those doing a similar task or creating a similar product in a sub-standard manner. With that said, most Hip Hop fans wouldn’t argue that drums are vital to making or breaking…

Drumma Boy sat down with MercyHope Productions for their Blueprint Minute series, and he spoke about the importance of being ready for any situation while making a name for yourself in the music industry. The Southern producer from Memphis, who produced two tracks off August Alsina’s debut album Testimony and has upcoming records with Jeezy…

This summer, New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom might provide the biggest platform for battle rap in hip-hop’s 40-year history. In January, Eminem, his manager Paul Rosenberg and the four members of pyrotechnic Shady Records crew Slaughterhouse announced the formation of Total Slaughter, a competitive rap battle league intended to give the artform national presence. On July…

Hot Summer.   For nearly two years, DJ Mustard’s been spreading himself thin. But this summer, he’s playing for keeps with debut album. Get ready for 10 Summers. [RapRadar]

Miami producer DJ Khaled‘s quest to prove he’s the best may have reached its peak after teasing fans about putting together a new Jay Z collaboration. A new trailer of Khaled cruising through Jigga’s childhood neighborhood boasting about the track has landed online. “I am honored to work with Jay Z on my new album….

Those of us who have worked in studios during the big console era have a soft spot in our hearts for those massive hunks of iron, but with so much of the audio business now centered around the DAW, consoles have fallen out of favor as the centerpiece of the studio. That’s why it’s always…

http://www.vladtv.com – Young Chop opens up about working with Kanye on Yeezus, explaining that he served as a production consultant for the album, giving Kanye a “younger input” on songs. When asked about the record not being a favorite among fans, Young Chop said that Kanye knew that when making the album, but wanted to…

CRWN x Future: Making Hits, Beyonce and ‘Honest’ from CRWN on Myspace. YN kicked in The A with Future on Tuesday for the latest installment of CRWN. Below is a synopsis of their half hour conversation. Honest in stores. Elliott Wilson and Future Hendrix sit down in Atlanta for an intimate conversation about songwriting, hit…

Steve Rennie is president of REN Management and host of Renman Music & Business. In addition to having managed  Incubus, Primal Scream and The The, Rennie was a founding member of ArtistDirect and SVP and GM of Epic Records where he worked with Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Ozzy Osbourne and Celine Dion.   There…