Tag: artist rights

T-Pain’s Music Catalog Sale Explained

Black artists have spent generations creating valuable music catalogs, but ownership has often been complicated. T-Pain recently sold his publishing catalog and master rights to HarbourView Equity Partners for an estimated $100 million. He explained that streaming devalued music from a dollar per song to fractions of a cent per play without artist consent, so selling secured his family's future. This trend includes Tina Turner, Future, and Dr. Dre selling catalogs for substantial sums. While selling represents a personal business decision, the broader conversation should focus on ensuring artists have knowledge and power to control their created work and benefit from their legacy.

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Winnie Harlow’s Former Lavish LA Home Tour

Model Winnie Harlow's gorgeous former Los Angeles home is back on the market for $4.5 million. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom Tarzana property spans roughly 4,800 square feet and features a glam room, backyard pool, and spillover spa. The home now belongs to Beyoncé's stylist Zerina Akers, who purchased it from Harlow in 2024 for just over $3.6 million. The open floor plan features formal living and dining rooms, a chef's kitchen where Harlow loved baking, and a breakfast nook with natural light. Additional highlights include a family room that hosted fittings and wine nights, a dedicated glam room, and a luxurious primary suite with spa-like bathroom featuring stone accents, steam shower, and soaking tub.

D. Smith Detransitioning: Love & Hip Hop Star Update

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta alum D. Smith says he's detransitioning after living publicly as a transgender woman for 12 years and will now present as a man and use he/him pronouns. The Grammy-nominated producer announced the change Thursday on Instagram, saying the decision has been taking shape over the past several months. Smith says those years were not a mistake and aren't something he's trying to erase, writing that living his life as a woman for 12 years showed him the man that he wanted to become.

Travis Kelce’s $5.35M Ohio Mansion Purchase

Travis Kelce bought a $5.35 million lakefront mansion in Ohio on 3.5 acres near Lake Erie, a few months before marrying Taylor Swift. The 21,000-square-foot property features eight bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a game room, home theater, heated pool, and wine cellar.

Karl Kani Runway Return at NYFW

When the godfather of urban fashion and a front-row visionary share a runway, New York Fashion Week becomes a cultural event. Karl Kani, who merged hip-hop culture with global luxury through his eponymous clothing brand, joined forces with Dionne Williams, founder of Emerge!, to deliver one of the week's most anticipated moments at the Emerge! 15th Anniversary Fashion Show.

Real Hip-Hop Network Returns: Who Owns Culture

Hip-hop has a built-in audience. Now, a media platform created to celebrate the genre wants to help shape what the community sees. As Real Hip-Hop Network prepares for a 2026 relaunch backed by Blacksun Private Equity, its leaders aim to reach today's audience without losing the culture. The network gives artists and creators a way to share their work while owning their intellectual property through distribution on radio, streaming services and other platforms.