R11.48 million down the drain!

Drake, the Grammy-winning rapper, is as well-known for his losing streak in sports betting as he is for his hit records. His latest $615,000 (R11.48 million) wager on Francis Ngannou to overcome Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia has once again resulted in disappointment. The “Drake Curse” seems to be in full effect. Joshua, the seasoned … Read more

Stop the music: Lapsed license hits TikTok

NEW YORK — TikTok may look (or sound) a little different when you scroll through the app going forward. Earlier this week, Universal Music Group — which represents big-name artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Drake — said that it would no longer allow its music on TikTok following the Wednesday expiration of a … Read more

TikTok may lose Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and more as licensing dispute grows

Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, says that it will no longer allow its music on TikTok now that a licensing deal between the two parties has expired. UMG said it had not agreed to terms of a new deal with TikTok, and plans to … Read more

Buzzy yet controversial Oakland restaurant closes for good

Tacos served at Calavera in Oakland.  Alex M./Yelp Calavera, a buzzy yet controversial Mexican restaurant in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood known for its wide assortment of mezcal, toasted chapulines and carnitas tacos, permanently closed on Saturday after just over eight years in business.  “This is not the way we wanted the new year to start, however, … Read more

Lost for decades, groundbreaking theme park resurfaces in California

A painted carousel by Keith Haring at “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy.” Julie Tremaine It sounds like a fairy tale. Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Hamburg, a group of contemporary artists came together to build an artistic wonderland, an amusement park to entertain families and change perceptions about fine art. It was a … Read more

How this Canadian producer is using AI to allow artists to sing in different languages

When Canadian producer Jordan Young started playing around with AI voice-cloning technology — ultimately creating a fake Kanye West song that sounded, well, just like Kanye West — it immediately prompted him to think about the ethical implications of the technology.  “As soon as I made it, I started to think … if anybody can make music with … Read more

The year of projectiles: 11 times fans hurled items at musicians in 2023

“I f–cking dare you,” Adele warned a crowd during a July show, to discourage them from throwing objects at her onstage. The Grammy winner appeared to be joking, strolling across the stage in Las Vegas with a T-shirt cannon and firing merchandise into the audience. However, she was addressing the epidemic of fans throwing objects at singers, which reached a … Read more