Results tagged “universalmusicgroup”

Earlier this month, Sarah Lewitinn (Ultragrrrl) brought her label, Stolen Transmission, back to the bedroom after leaving Island/Def Jam. This was just one of many things that signaled more changes for the major, and now it turns out that the president of Def Jam, Jay-Z, is stepping down from his position. The NY Times reports:

Jay-Z made the announcement with Def Jam’s parent, Universal Music Group, as his employment contract was expiring. Under a separate long-term recording contract with Def Jam, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, still owes the company one or more albums.

Upon his departure he stated, “It’s time for me to take on new challenges.” What's left after already having his hand in a fashion line, nightclubs, the New Jersey Nets and of course the music industry? Looks like the most immediate project is a downtown 5-star hotel. Jay-Z purchased a development site in Chelsea which will be home to a 150,000 square-foot luxury hotel called The J-Hotel -- he hopes this will be the flagship of what a chain that will span the nation's major cities.

We've had plenty to say about rapper Remy Ma after she shot a woman this past July in the Meatpacking District, but things have been quiet since she appeared in court early last month. Until now!

The firing of Don Imus has caused many to take a look at language in not only media, but music. As previously mentioned, Al Sharpton is one looking to clean up what we hear, and yesterday he led a march against racist and sexist lyrics, targeting the major labels. Around 400 others joined him in a march around midtown, outside companies like Universal Music Group. The topic reportedly carried over to a private gathering at the Apollo later on, for what would have been James Brown's 74th birthday.