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Man found guilty of the 2018 murder of rapper Smoke Dawg in Toronto

A man has been found guilty of the 2018 murder of rapper Smoke Dawg and his manager in Toronto. Smoke Dawg and manager Ernest Modekwe were murdered outside the Cube nightclub in Toronto on June 30, 2018. A bystander was also shot in the incident, but survived their injuries. Abdulkadir Handule, who raps under the moniker 21Neat, pled not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, but was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder by an Ontario Superior Court jury. The trial began in November and Handule, who was 22 years old at the time of the shooting, will be sentenced on May 27. Judge Brian O’Marra told the court (via Complex): “It’s been trying times in society the last two years and in my view, at times when society is under different types of stress, it’s more important than ever that the justice system still be able to operate as best it can. And you have been exemplary in your dedication to the task.” Handule’s lawyer Dirk Derstine said they are already looking into appealing the decision, and that Handule and his family are “deeply disappointed in the verdict”. Following his death, known associates of Smoke Dawg, including… Read More →

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Watch Billy Joel cover ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ in tribute to Gary Brooker

Billy Joel has paid tribute to Procol Harum‘s Gary Brooker with a cover of the band’s classic, ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ – watch it below. During his performance at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night (February 26), Joel delivered a moving rendition of the 1967 single to celebrate the life of Brooker, who died on February 19 at the age of 76. Featured on the US version of Procol Harum’s self-titled debut album, ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Advertisement It’s a song that Joel has praised frequently, and covered on numerous occasions throughout his career, including a snippet during a Cincinnati concert in 2021 and a solo take during a Town Hall Q&A and concert with Howard Stern in 2014. His performance of the song in Vegas in honour of Brooker followed a performance of his own ‘Only The Good Die Young. You can watch Joel’s tribute below: Billy Joel pays tribute to Gary Brooker of Procol Harum with "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Just one song of a loaded 2.5 hour set at @AllegiantStadm #Vegas #BillyJoel #ProcolHarum @billyjoel pic.twitter.com/2pyX3cveRM —… Read More →

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Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds criticises government over treatment of Ukrainian refugees

Enter Skikari’s Rou Reynolds has criticised the government over its treatment of Ukrainian refugees. Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on February 24. Many Ukrainians are now trying to escape the war zone as the fighting continues. The UK has received fierce criticism overnight (February 26) after it was revealed that it had failed to set up a direct refugee route for Ukrainian’s seeking asylum. The UK has stopped accepting visa applications from Ukrainian’s stuck in the country, meaning there is now no safe nor legal route for them to find asylum in the UK unless they have British relatives (via The Independent). Sharing a news article about the situation, Reynolds wrote: “The government is making it very difficult for Ukrainian refugees to take safe haven here in the UK, but it has always been glad to take Russian money & allow Russian oligarchs to buy British citizenship.” He continued: “Support the wealthy[,] abandon the struggling” before adding “Tories are consistent at least.” The government is making it very difficult for Ukrainian refugees to take safe haven here in the UK, but it has… Read More →

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Snoop Dogg explains how Queen Elizabeth stopped him getting kicked out of the UK

Snoop Dogg has recalled how Queen Elizabeth stopped him from getting thrown out of the UK the 1990s. READ MORE: The biggest moments from the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2022 He spoke about the Queen in a new interview with DJ Whoo Kid, recounting a UK newspaper cover story in 1994 with Snoop that called on lawmakers to “kick this evil bastard out” in reference to first and second-degree murder charges that Snoop was facing. He was on tour in the UK at the time. In 1993, a man was shot in Los Angeles. Snoop was arrested along with his then bodyguard and charged with first-degree murder. The charge was later dropped in 1996. Advertisement Amid calls for him to be returned to the US while the case was still ongoing, Snoop recalled how The Queen came to his defence. “It’s a headline…That shit is documented,” Snoop said in reference to the newspaper cover story calling for him to be returned home. “They had a picture of me on the front…there was like, ‘Kick this evil bastard out.’” He went on: “This was while I was fighting a murder case, over there [in the UK] doing shows. But guess who… Read More →

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Sasami’s New Album Squeeze Is A Haunted House

By Danielle Chelosky In many ways, Sasami Ashworth’s life has been leading up to this moment. Studying classical music through middle school and high school, the Los Angeles-based artist has been refining her ear since she was a kid. After furthering her studies in college, she became a music teacher while touring with bands part-time. It was when she was assisting Bright Eyes member Nate Walcott with arranging for other artists that she realized what she wanted to do. “I started understanding that my fluency in classical music and rock music could be tapped into,” she says over the phone in late January. “I could tap into that fluency, and have a role as a translator between the two worlds. I started doing that work for other artists, like Curtis Harding, and I did vocals for Wild Nothing and I played horn on Hand Habits.” She switched to touring full-time in the well-known indie-rock group Cherry Glazerr. In 2019, she released her eponymous debut solo album, which boasts an ethereal image of her posing unsteadily on a melting glacier. The picture encapsulates the unforgettable, emotionally intense landscape of the music; the synthy songs evoke a bittersweet feeling, powerful in their… Read More →

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Russian rapper Oxxxymiron cancels shows: “I know that most people in Russia are against this war”

Russian rapper Oxxxymiron has cancelled a series of shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The artist cancelled six sold-out concerts in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this week, according to a statement translated by The New York Times. “I know that most people in Russia are against this war, and I am confident that the more people would talk about their real attitude to it, the faster we can stop this horror,” said Oxxxymiron in a statement (translated by the Times). “I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine—when residents of Kyiv are forced to hide in basements and in the metro, while people are dying.” He is one of several other Russian musicians who have voiced their protest at the war. Kasta, Shym, Vladi, Khamil, Zmey, and Noize MC have all voiced their opposition to the attack on Ukraine. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oxxxymiron (@norimyxxxo) Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation. Since Oxxxymiron’s post last night (February 24), Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 137 people… Read More →

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Russia allowed to compete in Eurovision 2022, despite Ukraine invasion

Russia will be allowed to compete in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, despite the country launching a military assault on Ukraine. Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation yesterday (February 24). At the time of writing, at least 137 civilians have been killed in Ukraine with 316 injured (via The Guardian). It is currently being reported that Russian forces are now approaching Kyiv, the country’s capital (via BBC News). Advertisement The UK, European Union, the US and Australia have imposed sanctions on Russia in response, with Putin warning of “consequences you have never seen” if the West attempts to interfere. While many figures from the music world continue to condemn the attacks, organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest have said that the event still plans to host singers from both Russia and Ukraine in May. “The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political cultural event which unites nations and celebrates diversity through music,” an official statement reads. “The EBU’s public broadcaster members in both Russia and Ukraine have committed to participating in this year’s event in Turin and we are currently planning to welcome… Read More →

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Tyler, The Creator, Cardi B and more to headline “biggest ever” Wireless Festival

Wireless Festival has announced the line-up for its “biggest ever” event, with Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky and Cardi B among those set to perform. READ MORE: Wireless Festival 2021 review: superstar comeback for London’s biggest rap weekender This year will see the festival expand across three sites – Crystal Palace Park and Finsbury Park in London, as well as Birmingham’s NEC – over two consecutive weekends (July 1-3 and July 8-10). Headlining the Crystal Palace leg will be A$AP Rocky (UK exclusive), J. Cole (UK exclusive) and Tyler, The Creator (London festival exclusive). Advertisement Finsbury Park will boast bill-topping performances from Cardi B (UK exclusive), Nicki Minaj (European exclusive) and SZA, who’ll deliver her first-ever UK festival headline show. The latter artist is also listed as a European exclusive. The following weekend, Birmingham is due to welcome Dave, Cardi B and J. Cole as headliners of a brand-new, purpose-built outdoor site at the city’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) venue. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wireless Festival (@wirelessfest) A second wave of acts for Wireless Festival 2022 will be revealed at 12pm GMT today (February 25) ahead of a final batch of names arriving on Monday… Read More →

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The Snuts take aim at social media on lively new single ‘Zuckerpunch’

The Snuts have taken aim at social media on their lively new single, ‘Zuckerpunch’ – you can listen to it below. READ MORE: The Snuts: “Our debut album says there is a place for guitar music in 2021” The band’s new track is the second taste of new music since the release of their debut LP, ‘W.L.’, which topped the UK’s Official Albums Chart in April last year, marking the first time in 14 years that a Scottish band scored a UK Number One album. Produced by Detonate and Coffee, the introspective number – which follows November’s ‘Burn The Empire’ – hears The Snuts examine the detrimental effects of social media on society and its psychological impact. Advertisement “Zuckerpunch’s broken beat aesthetic reminisces the sampled-up, 8-track golden age of pre-internet music,” frontman Jack Cochrane said of the track. “Lyrically, everything is derived from feelings of screen fatigue, social media burn out and an overwhelming sense of anxiety about the fast moving internet world that is becoming closer by the day a part of us. He added: “It depicts hard hitting messages around the more impactful pitfalls of social media, the internet enmass and the protection of your identity and privacy.” You can listen to… Read More →

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A Decade Under Spotify’s Streaming Influence

Welcome to New Retro Week, a celebration of the biggest artists, hits, and cultural moments that made 2012 a seminal year in pop. MTV News is looking back to see what lies ahead: These essays showcase how today’s blueprint was laid a decade ago. Step into our time machine. When Spotify hit the United States in the summer of 2011, it arrived with a cavalcade of enthusiasm. “Finally” and “at last” were used in headlines announcing its launch. An NPR explainer laid out why the moment marked a milestone in the digital music era, describing Spotify’s “huge catalog of music that can be streamed, combined into playlists and accessed from any computer with an Internet connection, all for free.” The New York Times went much pithier: “New Service Offers Music in Quantity, Not by Song.” Through its first few years of operations in the U.S., Spotify both restructured and rattled the music industry. It also came to define what it means to experience and share music in the 21st century. A top hits playlist the platform published to close out 2012, for example, features one song that’s since amassed over a billion streams (“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye… Read More →

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Rave underneath the wings of a Concorde at Manchester Airport

Two raves are set to take place under the wings of a Concorde jet at Manchester Airport. READ MORE: Music venues and nightclubs “on the brink of collapse” and demand immediate” government action The events will be held in one of the airport’s hangars and will allow ravers to dance around one of the world’s most famous planes, the Concorde G-BOAC. The first rave will see DJs Dan Shake, Herbie Saccani and Surco residents perform on March 19 before further sets from Crazy P, Sharples and Surco residents on the second night on April 9. Advertisement The events are described as an “exclusive extravaganza which will see you move and groove the night away inside a hangar occupied by one of only 18 Concordes left around the world.” Fans at a rave. CREDIT: Ollie Millington/Getty Images Each night will run from 5pm (GMT) to midnight with tickets starting at £32, which are available here. The Concorde G-BOAC is said to have carried the Queen and Princess Diana on numerous journeys as well as being one of only three remaining of its kind in the UK, according to Mixmag. Meanwhile, a separate rave at Manchester’s Victoria Baths is set to take place later this… Read More →

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Soulja Boi and Lil Yachty among those sued over alleged cryptocurrency scheme

Rappers Soulja Boy and Lil Yachty, and YouTube personality Jake Paul, are among the defendants in a class action lawsuit over an alleged cryptocurrency “pump and dump” scheme. As reported by ClassAction.org, a lawsuit claims that Soulja, Yachty and Paul, as well as musician Nick Carter and YouTuber Ben Phillips, were recruited by the company SafeMoon to misleadingly promote and sell the cryptocurrency token ‘V1’. It is alleged that the endorsements were intended to artificially inflate the currency’s value, allowing founder and CEO Braden John Karony and other executives to sell their holdings for a profit while numbers were high. Advertisement The suit says that the so-called ‘pump and dump’ strategy saw the value of the SafeMoon token rise “astronomically” after its creation in March 2021. It claims that the trading volume for SafeMoon tokens shot up a staggering 875 percent within nine days of the celebrity-driven marketing campaign, peaking at $191.6 million on April 22, according to the complaint. Lil Yachty performs live. CREDIT: Getty Central to the lawsuit is SafeMoon’s promise to create a designated ‘wallet’, in which investors would “have a better place” to hold their tokens. Repeated promises of the wallet allegedly helped to stabilise the… Read More →

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Procol Harum lead singer Gary Brooker has died, aged 76

Gary Brooker, the lead singer of Procol Harum, has died aged 76. The pianist, composer and lyricist was being treated for cancer. He died peacefully at home over the weekend according to a statement on Procol Harum’s website. The statement described Brooker as “a brightly shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry”, adding that he “exhibited and developed a highly individual talent. “His first single with Procol Harum, 1967’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, is widely regarded as defining the ‘summer of love’, yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era. “Gary’s voice and piano were the single defining constant of Procol’s 50-year international concert career. Without any stage antics or other gimmicks he was invariably the most watchable musician in the show.” Procol Harum in 1967 – CREDIT: Getty The statement went on to add that Brooker’s “charisma was by no means confined to the stage.” It added: “He lit up any room he entered, and his kindness to a multilingual family of fans was legendary. He was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity. His mordant wit, and appetite for the ridiculous, made him a priceless raconteur. “He was above all… Read More →

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Kanye West doc director “turned camera off” during presidential campaign

Jeen-yuhs director Clarence “Coodie” Simmons said he “turned the camera off” while Kanye West was running for President of the United States in 2020. West, who changed his name to Ye last year, ran as an independent candidate but only qualified for ballot access in 12 states. He received over 60,000 votes, and conceded defeated on November 4, 2020. READ MORE: First look: ‘jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy’ review – the awakening of Mr West In an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra, Simmons said he stopped filming during Ye’s campaign because it “felt uncomfortable” despite the artist never asking him to. Advertisement “The time I got back with him when he was running for president, I decided to turn the camera off,” Simmons said. “I could have kept the camera rolling, anybody else would have kept the camera rolling and gone to TMZ straight after and probably got a million dollars for what I shot, but that’s my brother.” He added: “I put the camera down so I could pay attention to what was going on and make sure everything was going to run smoothly. And I never shot that side of Kanye. It just felt uncomfortable.” In a first-look review of the… Read More →

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The Wombats announce new UK and Ireland tour dates

The Wombats have announced a new set of UK and Ireland tour dates for August and October. The gigs will follow on from the three-piece’s upcoming UK arena tour, which will take place in April in support of their recent album ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’. READ MORE: Watch The Wombats’ track-by-track guide to ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ The Wombats have now announced further UK and Ireland tour dates for 2022, with a trio of headline shows set to take place in August in Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. Advertisement The band will then hit the road again in October to play shows in Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Norwich and Manchester. UK! We're adding a bunch of new dates later this year to our All The Hits! Tour. Let's keep this party going ?? For access to the pre-sale at 9am on Weds 23rd, sign up here before 4pm on Tues here. https://t.co/3bgyulPjj2 General sale opens 9am this Friday 25th of Feb x pic.twitter.com/EK2LCLk877 — The WOMBATS (@thewombats) February 21, 2022 General sale for tickets begins at 9am on Friday (February 25) here, though a pre-sale will take place on Wednesday (February 23) for fans who sign up here for access…. Read More →

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BamBam on his friendship with Red Velvet’s Seulgi: “We’ve become besties”

GOT7 singer BamBam has opened up about his newfound friendship with Red Velvet member Seulgi. READ MORE: PENTAGON on new mini-album ‘IN:VITE U’: “Sometimes a miracle does happen” Last December, the Thai-born K-pop idol teamed up with the Red Velvet vocalist for his single ‘Who Are You’, which appeared on his latest mini-album, ‘B’. In addition to contributing her vocals, Seulgi had also joined BamBam in the music video for the track, where the duo performed an intricate dance routine. “At first, we didn’t think about Seulgi [for the song]. We were thinking about a lot of people, but I feel like no one really matched the song until I met Seulgi from Red Velvet,” he told Rolling Stone India in a recent interview. The GOT7 star added that he had come up with the idea after meeting the fellow idol on her radio show, Seulgi.zip. Advertisement “I asked her right away, and working with her was the best,” he continued, sharing that they had become fast friends. “She did really well, she worked really hard on this. I learned so much from her, she learned so much from me and now we’ve become besties.” Last month, BamBam made his… Read More →

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Royal Albert Hall launches music talent competition for 14-18-year-olds

London’s Royal Albert Hall has announced a music talent contest that will give applicants the chance to perform on the iconic venue’s main stage. Future Makers, as the competition is titled, will see finalists perform on stage this November 2022 in front of an industry panel, invited guests and an audience of young people. The winning act will receive a unique package of support and opportunities from the Hall and its partners to continue their development as an artist. As part of the package, there is possible studio time, mentoring and further performance opportunities. Advertisement Entries to take part are open now until May 9 and must be submitted via a London Music Hub here (each London Music Hub may submit up to three acts for consideration). All entrants must be in years 10-13 of the academic year 2021/2022. A shortlist of acts will be invited to a live audition in the Hall’s Elgar Room this July. View from the back of the stage as Muse perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 12th April 2008. (Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns) Lucy Noble, Artistic Director of the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to launch this opportunity for aspiring young… Read More →

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Tool anger fans by selling signed vinyl for £600

Tool have angered their fans by announcing plans to sell an ultra-deluxe vinyl version of their 2019 album ‘Fear Inoculum’ for $810 (£595). READ MORE: Tool – ‘Fear Inoculum’ review The album will only be available to fans who bought the Toolarmy VIP tickets to the forthcoming dates on their tour. For $810, the collection includes five discs of 180-gram vinyl, with music on one side and etched art on the other. The sets have also been autographed. The band made the announcement on their Instagram, posting a video of the full set and writing “There’s some late-breaking news from the band.” Advertisement While fans have expressed their excitement at owning the Tool vinyl, many are annoyed by the high price tag. One person commented on the band’s Instagram post: “Any chance of a non-silly variant to, you know, just be able to listen to on a record player?” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tool (@toolmusic) Tool released ‘Fear Inoculum’, their fifth studio album, in August of 2019. In a five-star review, NME praised the album as “a languid, blissful work, featuring perhaps the best collection of vocals that singer [Maynard James] Keenan has ever committed to tape.” The band… Read More →

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Watch Beach House perform ‘Once Twice Melody’ songs live for the first time

Beach House kicked off their US tour in Pittsburgh last night (February 18), and they gave live debuts to a number of tracks from new LP ‘Once Twice Melody’. READ MORE: Beach House – ‘Once Twice Melody’ review: surrealist dream-poppers turn the page The Baltimore duo – comprised of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally – released the follow-up to 2018’s ‘7’ in four separate parts, with the final instalment arriving yesterday. Beach House’s show at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE saw them give multiple songs from the album – ‘Pink Funeral’, ‘Superstar’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘New Romance’ and the title track – their live debut. Advertisement You can check out some clips from the show below: Beach House played: ‘Once Twice Melody’ (Live debut) ‘Silver Soul’ ‘Dark Spring’ ‘PPP’ ‘Pink Funeral’ (Live debut) ‘Lazuli’ ‘Beyond Love’ ‘Superstar’ (Live debut) ‘Bluebird’ ‘Masquerade’ (Live debut) ‘Myth’ ‘Drunk In LA’ ‘Take Care’ ‘New Romance’ (Live debut) ‘Somewhere Tonight’ ‘Girl Of The Year’ ‘Space Song’ ‘Lemon Glow’ Advertisement Beach House will kick off a UK and European tour in May; the stint includes a headline performance at the O2 Academy Brixton in London – remaining tickets can he found here. The full schedule is as follows: MAY 2021 21 – The… Read More →

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Tom Morello, Nandi Bushell and more team up with Afghan charity on new single ‘God Help Us All’

Tom Morello, Nandi Bushell, Julien Baker and more have teamed up with an Afghan charity on a new single, ‘God Help Us All.’ Listen to it below. The musicians have teamed up with The Miraculous Love Kids, a non-profit organisation that teaches music to young Afghan girls, to cover Morello’s Nightwatchmen song. The organisation was recently forced to stop its programme after the Taliban took over government control in Afghanistan six months ago. The song aims to raise awareness of the plight of girls in the country since the Taliban’s re-emergence. Advertisement The founder and director of Miraculous Love Kids, Lanny Cordola said: “It has been a hellish past six months trying to evacuate and relocate the girls and their families. “Tom Morello’s soul hymn perfectly encapsulates this feeling,” he continued. “The convergence of all these talents truly shows how music can unify artists from different idioms and cultures to lend their voices to the vulnerable, marginalised suffering souls of the Earth. “I also feel this song reaches out to the inner ache that so many are feeling these days. Tom has been a Godsend to the girls and I on so many levels. He allowed us to rearrange his composition… Read More →

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Kanye West reveals tracklist for ‘DONDA 2’

Kanye West has appeared to reveal the tracklist for his forthcoming new album ‘DONDA 2’. The rapper and producer, who is now legally known as Ye, is readying the sequel LP to 2021’s ‘DONDA’ for release on Tuesday (February 22). Future is said to be executively producing the record, while Marilyn Manson has also been working on the album. READ MORE: First look: jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy review – the awakening of Mr West After announcing overnight that ‘DONDA 2’ will only be available on his Stem Player device, West has now shared what appears to be the tracklist for the record. Advertisement Song titles include ‘Security’, ‘Life Me Up’, ‘Broken Road’, ‘Sci Fi’, ‘530’ and ‘Closed For Business’ – you can see the handwritten tracklist in the below Instagram post, which West captioned “like we always do at this time” in reference to his 2007 single ‘Good Life’. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ye (@kanyewest) After confirming that ‘DONDA 2’ wouldn’t be available on the major streaming platforms, West wrote on Instagram that “for the first time in a long time, I feel alive”. He also said that his fans should acquire the Stem Player “to be… Read More →