After a wildly successful launch in 2012, it looks like the Made In America Festival will be back for another year. Jay-Z uploaded a trailer for this year’s festival on his Youtube page, which also announced the dates: August 31 – September 1. As of now, there is no information on who will be performing…

Chicago rapper Kanye West and a number of record labels are the subject of a new copyright/RICO lawsuit, over the continued usage of a 1974 sample.The rap star is being sued by Trena Steward and Lorenzo Pryor, who are the owners of the copyright for the song “Bumpin’ Bus Stop.” The song was originally recorded…

Universal Music Publishing Group signed a deal with Sugar Hill Music to administer their entire catalog in the United States, UMPG Chairman/CEO Zach Horowitz and Sugar Hill founder/CEO Joey Robinson announced today. Sugar Hill’s repertoire includes much of the early hip-hop and R&B that sprung up in the 1980s such as Grandmaster Flash and the…

Kid Rock will take a “pay cut” this summer, or at least risk one, by structuring a deal that allows for a $20 ticket price across the board at amphitheaters, and working with promoter Live Nation to lower prices on everything from beer to parking to merchandise for every show in every city. Kid Rock…

Check out our interview with Big Sean as he talks about Kid Cudi leaving G.O.O.D. Music! Stay tuned for more exclusive videos from Big Sean’s visit to the station!

Katy Perry has been added to the lineup for ASCAP’s upcoming “I Create Music” Expo, taking place April 18 through 20 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. The chart-topping singer will be interviewed by the performance rights organization’s EVP of Membership, Randy Grimmet in what’s being billed as “a story of both talent…

Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” is aiming for the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart next week, thanks to continued growth in airplay, streaming and a new discounted price in the iTunes Store. Mars’ piano ballad has been steadily gaining in chart points for the past 11 weeks. This week,…

Never wish for anything — because you might get it. Back in 2008, I was on a panel on IFC’s website with some distinguished names in the field of online music writing: Pitchfork founder Ryan Schreiber, Bill Crandall (then at Spinner), and Maura Johnston (then with Idolator). We discussed how the rise of blogging would…

Along with a new official trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” film adaptation that gave music fans a sneak peek at new music from Beyoncé and Andre 3000, Lana Del Rey, and Florence and the Machine, and official track list for the soundtrack was released on Thursday (Apr. 4). The first track featured in…