The Prince estate has re-released the artist's track "Baltimore" in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and everyone else who has been a victim of police brutality. The re-release includes a new music video uploaded to YouTube.
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"Baltimore" was originally released in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray. In the track, Prince sings:
Does anybody hear us pray
For Michael Brown or Freddie Gray?
Peace is more than the absence of war
Are we gonna see another bloody day?
We’re tired of the crying and people dying
Let’s take all the guns away.
Prince would have turned 62-years-old, Sunday. In honor of his birthday, his estate wrote on Twitter, "Prince dedicated his life to speaking out against injustice, advocating for black excellence, and spreading the message of 'Love 4 One Another.' In this note that he kept in his personal archives, he wrote a message that still resonates today."
"Nothing more ugly in the whole wide world than INTOLERANCE (between) Black, white, red, yellow, boy or girl, INTOLERANCE," the note reads.
Check out the new music video for "Baltimore" below, featuring images from protests throughout the city and news headlines following the deaths of black citizens at the hands of the police.
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Michael Jackson & Prince Hypothetical IG Live Battle Sheet Circulates Online
Michael Jackson & Prince are undeniably two of the greatest artists in the history of music. Fans wanted to celebrate their legacy by imagining what it would like to see these two face-off.
With all of the real-life Verzuz battles that have recently stormed our timelines, it was only a matter of time before fans began imagining match-ups that we’ll sadly never see. Yet, the forbidden question has been presented: Who would take the Instagram Live Battle crown in a head-to-head music bout between Michael Jackson and Prince?
The pair of icons were born just months apart and went on to become two of the most celebrated musicians in history. Their lives were fraught with controversies—albeit vastly different—and they both left us far too soon. Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest as a result of a combination of drugs in his system, while Prince passed away from an accidental overdose. Even with the tragic circumstances surrounding the ends of both their lives, it’s how they lived, the art they created, and the music they made that remains their lasting legacies.
Someone has imagined what a Live Battle between these greats would look like, and even laid out what songs would face-off. People are asked to fill out which song would win each round, or if it would be a tie. Of course, the song choices could be moved around, but the question still remains: Who would come out as the winner? Michael Jackson or Prince? Check out the photo below and let us know what you think.
Future Releases "Purple Reign" Mixtape Across All Streaming Platforms
Future surprised fans by making his 2016 mixtape, "Purple Reign," available and they took to social media to share their excitement.
We'd like to think that some of our favorite albums are readily available on the streaming platform of our choice, but that just isn't the case. We still don't have Aaliyah's catalog and Dr. Dre's classic The Chronic will become widely available on April 20. Back in 2016, Future shared his mixtape, Purple Reign. It was the Atlanta rapper's 16th mixtape that hosted no features and had production credits from Metro Boomin, Southside, Zaytoven, DJ Spniz, and more. The 12-track effort's artwork pays homage to late music icon Prince's album of the same name, and for years the project was only available on select platforms.
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Now, fans will be able to stream wherever they like, and they took to social media to share their enthusiasm. The news of Purple Reign became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter as fans took a walk down memory lane. The rapper has been slowly, but surely, releasing his projects on all platforms and his supporters can't get enough—especially after seeing that Future added his track "News or Something" to the end.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the project, give it a listen below. For avid future fans, enjoy the memories. Peep a few enthusiastic reactions from fans, as well.
Brian McKnight’s Son Weighs In On Usher Vs. The Weeknd: "#TheBestArtistsSteal"
The Weeknd recently shared a few controversial statements about Usher, prompting Brian McKnight Jr. to weigh in with his thoughts.
The falsettos have been coming out to play as they’ve attempted to give their renditions of Usher‘s 2012 single “Climax.” In a recent interview with Variety, The Weeknd sparked controversy after he mentioned the R&B icon. “I heard ‘Climax,’ that Usher song, and was like, ‘Holy f—, that’s a Weeknd song,'” he told the publication. “It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I got, I realized it’s a good thing.”
Diplo, who helped craft “Climax,” later tweeted that he wanted to bring “dark edges” to R&B, much like The Weeknd did with House of Balloons in 2011. The Weeknd replied that the media blew things out of proportion. “Usher is a King and always an inspiration so it was flattering to hear what him and Diplo did on climax. XO.”
Later, singer Brian McKnight’s son, Brian McKnight Jr., added his two cents to the controversy. He shared a video of himself showing off his singing skills and wrote that truly, “Climax” leans more to his father’s sound. “I always thought it sounded more like a Brian McKnight hook, personally, which is really just a Prince Rip off, at the end of the day,” Brian Jr. wrote in the caption. “But that’s only if you ask me. ??❤️. What do y’all think?”
He then tagged Usher, The Weeknd, and Eric Bellinger before tossing in a few hastags including “#TheBestArtistsSteal.” Check it out below.
Prince’s Family Claims His Estate Has Not Paid Them A Cent
Prince’s three siblings, Sharon, Norrine, and John Nelson are pleading the court to be paid by his estate, claiming they have not seen a cent of their late brother’s fortune.
Members of Prince’s family have accused the late artist’s estate of failing to pay them a cent, and have filed a petition for compensation. When Prince tragically passed away in 2016, he left all of his assets to his six siblings, Tyka Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John R. Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson. However, his half-sisters, Sharon and Norrine, and his half-brother, John, are claiming that they have yet to see a penny of their late brother’s fortune. They have accused his estate, which is run by Comerica Bank, of mismanaging Prince’s money and failing to inform them about new deals. As a result, Sharon, Norrine, and John have filed a petition for compensation, asking the court to approve “payment for services and efforts provided to the Estate.”
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for Comerica
According to court documents, the three siblings feel that they have contributed “considerable time and investment in business matters related to the Estate.” However, “unlike others, who have performed services for the Prince Estate,” Sharon, Norrine, and John have “not received any financial sums for numerous and repeated services they have contributed to the Estate.” The three siblings, who have had issues with the estate on numerous occasions in the past, have requested to be paid several times, but have been denied. “As this Court is aware, the Estate has now been on-going for over three years,” the court papers read. “In this time, millions have been paid to the Personal Representatives, their accountants, attorneys, and legal advisors.”
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The heirs have allegedly had to rely “solely on their pension, social security, personal savings and loans from friends to cover the costs needed to support the Prince Estate despite the millions paid to advisors, attorneys and others approved by the Court.” This has resulted in significant financial instability, according to the three siblings. They are pleading with the court to order Comerica to work out a settlement, but a judge still has yet to rule.
Prince’s LA Mansion Hits The Market For $30 Million
Prince’s LA crib is officially on the market for $30 million.
Even from the heavens above, Prince is still making money moves as his Los Angeles mansion has officially hit the market with an insane asking price of $30 million. The house is appropriately located above Sunset Strip and features a total of 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and 18,401 square feet of land, according to Homes.com. With a price tag of $30 million, this includes an entirely different residence on the same street as well as two vacant parcels totaling over 2.15 acres in one of the most beautiful climates in the country in southern California.
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The Hollywood Hills compound decked out in cream/beige Mediterranean-style architecture also features a tennis court, wine cellar, ballroom, gym, an indoor sports complex, a ballroom, stunning panoramic city to ocean views, a swimming pool complete with a grotto and swim-up bar, and a four-car garage. The second residence on the plot is 3,300 square feet home complete with three bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, spa, den, billiards room, bar, pool, and a two-car garage.
The $30 million estate was also previously owned by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Russ Weiner, and former NBA power forward Carlos Boozer, who came close to suing the Purple One for renovating the property without his knowledge. The 5’3 musical genius allegedly turned a guest room into a hair salon, transformed his weight room into a private club, painted an entire wall purple, and changed the gates logos to the notorious ‘Prince’ emblem. However, since Boozer didn’t want to disrespect the legend, he withdrew from filing legal documents against the “Irresistible B*tch” singer.
With Prince’s musical catalog and estate worth an estimated $200 million, his overseers have reissued multiple of his albums on vinyl, allowed some of his personal jewelry collection to be sold publicly, and approved Jay Z and Troy Carter to release a collection of unreleased music of his.
Music and pop culture hasn’t been the same since Prince’s sunset day on April 21, 2016. The culture’s favorite uncle may no longer be with us in the physical realm, but his spirit lives on as one of the greatest musicians of all-time. You can check out Prince’s LA bachelor pad, here, as well as an online simulation of his home in the award-winning subscription service he curated back in 2003 in the Instagram post provided below.
Lil Baby Ties With Prince & Paul McCartney’s Hot 100 Numbers
Lil Baby officially racked up the same amount of total hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as notable artists like Prince and post-Beatles Paul McCartney.
Lil Baby is officially up there with some legendary artists like Prince and Paul McCartney when it comes to their Billboard Hot 100 hits. Following the successful reception of his album, My Turn, which debuted at No. 1 this past week, Lil Baby has earned a whopping twelve additional hits on the Hot 100 chart. These twelve tracks join the album’s previously released singles, “Woah” and “Sum To Prove,” on the charts, giving Baby fourteen total cuts from My Turn on the charts right now. These debuts push the artist’s overall numbers to new heights, and have him sitting among some of the most notable acts of all time. With his My Turn charters, the 25-year-old has officially racked up a total of 47 Hot 100 hits in his career, tying him with the likes of Prince and Paul McCartney during his solo career.
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It’s worth noting that Baby has achieved these numbers in less than two-and-a-half years, ever since his 2017 track “My Dawg” marked his first entry on the Hot 100. Accumulating 47 hits in that time span is commendable, especially since only one other artist has landed more songs on the chart in that time span. Drake, who is tied with the Glee Cast at 207 for the highest number of Hot 100 hits in history, has garnered 50 hits on the chart since Lil Baby started taking over, only 3 more than Baby’s total. Check out where Lil Baby’s My Turn hits debuted on the Hot 100 this week:
No. 18, “Heatin Up,” with Gunna
No. 23, “Commercial,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert
No. 28, “Live off My Closet,” featuring Future
No. 31, “Emotionally Scarred”
No. 48, “Grace,” with 42 Dugg
No. 54, “Get Ugly”
No. 58, “No Sucker,” with Moneybagg Yo
No. 59, “How”
No. 64, “Forever,” featuring Lil Wayne
No. 78, “Same Thing”
No. 91, “We Should,” with Young Thug
No. 99, “Can’t Explain”
Timbaland Reveals Floyd Mayweather Made Him "Nervous"
Timbaland recently answered a few questions with the “Tamron Hall Show” and shared that Mayweather intimidated him.
Considering the number of artists he worked with in the studio, it’s surprising for some to hear that Timbaland still gets nervous when working with certain artists. Last week, the superproducer shot a behind-the-scenes segment for the Tamron Hall Show where he revealed which entertainer made him the most uncomfortable while in the studio.
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“Imma tell you a person who really made me nervous was Floyd Mayweather, ’cause he’s a [perfectionist],” he said. “He came in the studio one time, he leaned over me, ‘You ain’t nothin’.” You know, like with that kinda boxing mentality. He pushed me, and I’m like, just making it, just stayed in my zone. I was like, ‘This must be happening for a reason.”
Timbaland added that Floyd was openly telling him that the beats were “wack” but the producer just took it in stride. “That was—I think he made me the [most nervous], the most terrified in my life.” The clip wasn’t singularly dedicated to Timbaland’s intimidating studio session with the boxing champ. The Virginia artist was pelted with other questions regarding his long-running career.
He revealed that his first hit song was Aaliyah‘s “If Your Girl Only Knew,” said his first collaboration was with Nelly Furtado, shared that the first concert he ever attended was a Prince show, and disclosed that the first beat he ever fell in love with was “Paul Revere” by Beastie Boys. Check out more from Timbaland backstage with the Tamron Hall Show below.
Prince’s Estate & Music Catalogue Reaches $200 Million Value: Report
Recently obtained documents dealing with the legal proceedings of Prince’s estate put its value at a whopping $200 million.
The ongoing legal proceedings regarding the estate of late music legend Prince has seen a handful of unfortunate circumstances, including a lien issued by a lawyer for the amount of $1 million for unpaid legal fees he said is owed to him by Prince’s late brother Alfred Jackson. That situation actually led to a reported number being put on the value of the whole estate, which now is set at $200 million.
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The Blast is reporting to have obtained documents from the legal battle relating to Alfred’s portion of the fortune that was left to him after Prince died back on April 21, 2016. Jackson was one of six heirs set to divide Prince’s massive fortune that he made for himself over the span of his trail-blazing career. Unfortunately, Alfred himself died at his home in Missouri on August 28, 2019 before the ongoing estate proceedings were officially settled, and now it looks like things just got even more confusing.
Here’s what The Blast is saying on how things are being handled now:
“After Prince’s death on April 21, 2016, it was determined that Alred [sic] had 1/6 expectancy interest in the entire Prince Estate, which has a potential gross value of $200,000,000,” the documents reveal.
At the time of Alfred’s death, his brother Shawn Jackson filed documents in Missouri challenging a will that was filed on behalf of Alfred’s business advisors.
In the purported will, Alfred’s share of the Prince fortune, approximately $33 Million, would go to his business advisor and his team who helped set up the sale of his stake in the estate to a corporation. As we reported, Prince’s sister also sold her stake of the fortune.
Alfred’s brother, Shawn, is challenging the will and a battle is now raging in Missouri over who will be the administrator of Alfred’s estate.”
It appears that Shawn’s rebuttal is influenced by the fact that Alfred wasn’t in the proper mental state to make decisions of that magnitude at the time, especially being that he reportedly suffered from Parkinson’s disease and took “psychiatric drugs” like Haloperidol for the illness.
We’re praying that for sake of Prince’s legacy and rightfully-earned fortune, all of this can be settled in the least problematic way possible. We believe The Purple One would’ve wanted it that way. Take a look back on this classic record by Prince, who happens to be Google’s most-searched guitar solo king:
Prince Estate Hit Up For $1 Million Over His Late Brother’s Legal Bills
Prince’s late brother, Alfred Jackson forgot to pay up, now one lawyer is asking the Prince Estate to foot the bill.
Prince was recently honored by the Recording Academy with his very own tribute show featuring performances by Usher, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and more. Since the untimely passing of The Purple One, his estate has quietly released some of his recordings including the likes of songs like “Why The Butterflies” and “Don’t Let Him Fool Ya.” Despite some bumps in the road, Prince’s Estate has been handled exceptionally well. Unfortunately, now, one lawyer has hit the estate with a lien claiming that Prince’s late brother, Alfred Jackson, owes him close to $1 million in unpaid legal fees.
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According to court documents obtained by The Blast, an attorney by the name of Justin Bruntjen worked with Prince’s half-brother, Alfred Jackson, pertaining to various legal matters and has officially filed a notice of attorney lien with the Prince Estate. In Aug. 2019, Jackson sadly passed away from natural causes without paying his legal fees.
Alfred Jackson was one of six siblings with a share within the Prince Estate which has caused attorney Justin Bruntjen to place a claim on the estate in hopes to receive his compensation. The court documents claim that Bruntjen worked with Jackson from April 2016 to Nov. 2018 as it states:
“As of this date, the unpaid legal services and costs total $903,640.25 exclusive of any costs of collection. This amount does not include any fees and costs that Justin Bruntjen was awarded by the Court for work that benefitted the Estate as a whole.” The lien continues, “…in the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson, including any right to receive payments, property, proceeds, money or value of any kind, for agreed compensation for such services as were rendered by Justin Bruntjen respecting Alfred Jackson’s interest in the Estate.”
This isn’t the first time that Prince’s heirs have found themselves in legal disputes with lawyers. Prince’s sister, Tyka was ordered to pay $850,000 to various legal counselors who helped her with the estate. She later sold a portion of her interest in the estate to a third party which caused more conflict between attorneys and the estate.
Hopefully, the debt can be settled amicably and Prince will be able to continue to rest in peace. Check out the audio clip of Prince’s first manager, Owen Husney, discovering the supremely gifted musician in the Instagram post provided below.