A simple disguise caused an uproar this past weekend. During the “Spectacle: The Music Video” exhibition on Friday, Macklemore performed in a costume which some determined to be a Jewish stereotype. Earlier today he addressed the issue with the following statement. Family, friends and fans alike who know me well, know that I’m absolutely not…

Twitter is reportedly mulling a potential acquisition of SoundCloud, although no announcement appears to be imminent.  Even if the companies are a good fit for each other, a deal seems unlikely in the short term, not least because Twitter would likely use stock rather than cash for the bulk of the deal’s purchase price. Its…

Priming itself for the age of Internet-delivered video, AT&T Inc. said it would buy DirecTV for $48.5 billion in cash and stock, or $95 per share. While DirecTV doesn’t help the telecom company compete in the online video space immediately, cost savings from the merger and the extra cash flow will improve its ability to…

With their album in stores today, Black Thought and Questlove visited Power 105. They discussed the album, where they stand in Hip Hop, relationship with members of the group, Quest’s partial ownership of the Soul Train franchise and more. [RapRadar]

Soundtrack Your Brand officially launched Spotify Business, allowing business owners to legally stream unlimited music through Spotify in their stores and other commercial properties. Soundtrack Your Brand is targeted to small businesses, and with the monthly fee owners can schedule music for the week to set a certain mood, stream and download unlimited music and share the brand’s “Spotify sound”…

Twitter is reportedly mulling an acquisition of SoundCloud, according to Re/code, who spoke to people with ties to both companies. SoundCloud, founded in 2007 by Eric Wahlforss, and Alexander Ljung, has raised $123.3 million in four funding rounds since its launch. The service had 40 million users as of last year. Twitter claims 255 million…

Bassist and composer Rufus Reid has been playing jazz for half a century. He’s worked with just about everyone, from saxophonists and to singer and trumpeter . He’s written a book on bass method and a three-movement work for symphony orchestra. His latest project takes him in yet another direction. It’s called Quiet Pride, and…

From all indications it appears that the Apple AAPL +1.53% – Beats Electronics deal will come to pass, and as we move forward from the initial leak a week or so ago, many analysts are focusing on the wearable tech part that Beats may bring to the Apple deal. As I and other industry observers…

Sometimes just the simplest invention can make a big difference in sound and here’s a perfect example. It’s the TnR Booty Shakers, an isolation mount for floor toms and snare that decouple the drums from the floor, thereby providing more of the true sound of the drum. These things are cheap too, with the floor…

Rick Ross has reportedly evaded court papers for as many as six months stemming from lawsuit filed by a British concert promoter. Christian Ezechie, a promoter who says he’s coordinated concerts for artists like Usher, Busta Rhymes, and Missy Elliott, apparently coordinated for Ross, Meek Mill, Wale, and Omarion to perform at London’s Wembley Arena…