Erased Tapes Records // Label & Production Manager (London)

ICE Licensing // Senior DSP Audit & Assurance Manager (London)

ICE Licensing // DSP Audit and Assurance Manager (London)

Nonclassical // Executive Director (London)

IDOL // UK Label Manager (London/Hybrid)

Today's music business news

TOP STORY

Lizzo's touring company seeks dismissal of lawsuit filed by former dance team members

Lizzo's Big Grrrl Big Touring company last week formally responded to the lawsuit filed in August by three former members of the musician's dance team, urging the LA Superior Court to dismiss the case.

The new legal filing accuses the three dancers of unprofessional behaviour while on tour with Lizzo, while also providing declarations from eighteen other people who have worked with the musician that dispute the various allegations made in the original lawsuit.

Dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez accuse Lizzo and Big Grrrl Big Touring of creating a toxic working environment, sexual harassment and other improper conduct. Meanwhile, their lawyer has called the musician a hypocrite, for promoting diversity and body positivity in public, while "privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralising”.

But - according to Variety - Lizzo's legal rep, Martin D Singer, says the lawsuit is a “fabricated sob story” filed "out of spite and in pursuit of media attention, public sympathy and a quick payday with minimal effort".

Last week's motion to dismiss insists that this dispute began with the unprofessional conduct of the three dancers, who - it claims - "missed flights, arrived late and hungover to rehearsals and drunk to performances, entered into consensual sexual relationships with male crew members on tour [and] exhibited a rapid decline in the quality of their dancing and professionalism".

One of the complaints in the original lawsuit was that “Lizzo pressured plaintiffs and all her employees to attend outings where nudity and sexuality were a focal point and disregarded any apprehension from plaintiffs”. A team night out in Amsterdam was cited in particular.

However, in one of the declarations submitted to the court last week, another dancer - Melissa Locke - says she didn't attend that night out, but did speak to Davis and Rodriguez about it the next day.

“They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had", she writes. "I remember telling them, ‘That sounds like so much fun, I wish you had woken me up to go with you'. They agreed that it was a fun night and told me that they went out in the red light district after. They did not complain or sound upset in any way".

Another declaration disputes the claim that Lizzo and her team weight-shamed the dancers behind the scenes. Asia Banks writes: “I would say that I was the biggest dancer on the tour. Lizzo always went out of her way to make me feel secure and confident in my body, including by making sure I was comfortable in every single costume for the show".

Friday's motion seeks dismissal of the three dancers' lawsuit on anti-SLAPP grounds, utilising laws designed to stop allegedly meritless or frivolous lawsuits that seek to restrict a defendant's freedom of speech.

However, a lawyer working for the dancers, Neama Rahmani, said in a statement: “Even a first-year law student can see that ‘free speech’ does not cover Lizzo and her team’s illegal sexual harassment and racial, religious and disability discrimination".

“The defence’s declarants", he went on, "are either defendants accused of wrongdoing or people who are on Lizzo’s payroll, and their statements can’t be considered by the judge. That’s a question for the jury".

He then concluded: “Our clients have dozens of independent witnesses who support their stories, and we continue to receive inquiries from other former Lizzo employees who want to be new plaintiffs".

Lizzo herself also filed a motion to dismiss in relation to the dancers' lawsuit last month, denying all the allegations that have been made.

ONE LINERS

Raye x Hans Zimmer, Take That, Giggs x Diddy + more

DEALS

Management firm Three Six Zero has announced a partnership with Caron Veazey and her company Something In Common. Before launching her own business, Veazey managed Pharrell Williams for nearly a decade. Her current clients include Mette. Three Six Zero CEO Mark Gillespie says that Veazey is "a phenomenal manager whose vast experience and creativity will be vital to Three Six Zero moving forward".

APPOINTMENTS

Metropolis Studios in London has promoted Charlie Colton to the role of General Manager and Head Of Mastering. CEO Richard Connell says: “Charlie was the first appointment I made when I started at Metropolis. To say I have learned so much from her is an understatement, her knowledge and experience of the industry is second to none and this role is richly deserved". She takes over as Head Of Mastering from Dan Baldwin, who is stepping down after 23 years with the company.

RELEASES

Raye and Hans Zimmer have released ‘Mother Nature’, their theme tune to the third series of the BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’. "I am a ‘Planet Earth’ stan”, says Raye. “I’ve watched religiously for years, so having this opportunity open for me doesn’t even feel real. David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer are two of my heroes, to be able to compose a song with Hans is beyond a wildest dream”.

Bad Boy Chiller Crew have released new single ‘Memory’. Their new album ‘Influential’ is out on 10 Nov.

GIGS & TOURS

Take That have announced that they will play ‘Radio 2 In Concert’ next month, performing to a small audience at the BBC Radio Theatre for a show that will also be broadcast on Radio 2 on 23 Nov. “We can’t wait for ‘Radio 2 In Concert’”, say the band. “It’s such an honour to be asked to play such a prestigious show. At the heart of things, it’s a special and intimate show, but to also know how many fans will be tuning in from home - it takes the experience to another level”.

Giggs and Diddy have announced that they will play a one-off show at the Shepherds Bush Empire on 7 Nov. All proceeds will be donated to charity.

AWARDS

Organisers of the UK Festival Awards have announced the shortlists for this year's event, which will take place on 5 Dec in Manchester. There are two new categories this time: Best Micro Festival, which celebrates super-boutique events, and Transport Impact Innovator, which will highlight festivals that strive to reduce the environmental impact of audience travel. The shortlists are here.

LABELS & PUBLISHERS

BMG restructure results in job losses

BMG internally announced a restructure last week which will result in some job cuts, with Billboard estimating that around 40 employees will be impacted by the downsizing.

In a memo to staff, Thomas Coesfeld - who took over as the music firm's CEO in July - said “these are tough but necessary decisions", adding: “I would like to extend my thanks to the team members involved on behalf of everyone at BMG. They have done us proud".

The lay-offs affect the firm's international marketing department and those involved in theatre and film projects, plus the Modern Recordings label that was launched back in 2019. Senior execs set to depart include Fred Casimir, EVP of Global Repertoire, and Jason Hradil, SVP Of Global Repertoire.

Commenting on the decision to discontinue the company's international marketing department, Coesfeld said that, when it was set up five years ago, running marketing in that way was the "ideal structure for the time". However, "our recordings business is now three times the size it was then and it’s overwhelmingly streaming-based. It is no surprise that the way we manage our business also has to change".

He drew a parallel with BMG's recent decision to end its long-running partnership with Warner Music's ADA division on distribution, instead entering into direct licensing deals with the streaming services. Basically, the ADA alliance also worked for a time, but the business has grown and evolved, and a new approach is now required.

The memo then continued: “While the logic of this move is clear, however, we should not underestimate the impact on our colleagues. Our best wishes are with them and BMG will do what we can as a company to help them at this time".

Coesfeld also provided an update on the shift away from using ADA's services, confirming that the company is "on target" to start distributing tracks directly to services like Spotify from later this week.

BRANDS & MERCH

New York Times investigation put spotlight on Kanye West's years of misconduct during Adidas partnership

A New York Times investigation into Kanye West's long-term partnership with Adidas alleges years of misconduct on the rapper's part, all of which was tolerated until that flurry of controversial public statements last year made the business alliance untenable.

Among the allegations in the new NYT report are that West "showed a troubling fixation on jews and Hitler", that he "brought pornography and crude comments into the workplace", and that Adidas had to put in place a strategy to help staff deal with the considerable stress caused by interacting with the rapper.

Adidas began working with West in 2013, launching the first trainers under the Adidas Yeezy brand in 2015. The joint venture proved hugely profitable for both parties. However, Adidas ended the partnership in October last year after West made a number of racist and anti-Semitic statements.

Among the claims in the NYT report are that, shortly after the Yeezy partnership had been agreed, West "met with designers at company headquarters in Germany to discuss ideas. He was so offended by their sketches, he drew a swastika on one, shocking employees".

"He later told a Jewish Adidas manager to kiss a portrait of Hitler every day", it goes on. "Mr West told Adidas colleagues that he admired Hitler’s command of propaganda. He also expressed a belief that jews had special powers allowing them to amass money and influence".

So stressful was working with West, that the company had a group text chain called the 'Yzy hotline' to specifically address issues involving the rapper.

An HR official was assigned to specifically support those working on Yeezy products, new hires were given access to a meditation app, and staff "regularly gathered for something akin to group therapy".

The NYT article follows recent reports that West is seeking a new distribution partner to release a collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign. That release was originally planned for this month but has seemingly been pushed back. Though Ty Dolla $ign recently promised there would be a "multi-stadium listening event" on 3 Nov.

You can read the NYT article here.

SETLIST PODCAST

Spotify plots changes to the way it pays out royalties

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week.

On this edition, Spotify's plans to change the way it allocates revenues to individual tracks and catalogues each month, and the confirmation that digital is now the biggest driver of revenue for the song rights collecting societies.

LEGAL

Chris Brown and Live Nation sued over violent altercation in London club

Chris Brown has been sued through the courts in California over an alleged incident that occurred at the Tape nightclub in London earlier this year. The musician's label Sony Music and promoter Live Nation are also named as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, the incident occurred while Brown was in the UK on his 'Under The Influence' tour in February. The plaintiff, Amadou 'Abe' Diaw, says he has known Brown for seven years, so expected a friendly interaction when he saw the musician and fellow artist HoodyBaby approaching him at the London club.

However, the lawsuit claims, instead "Brown brutally assaulted plaintiff ... wielding a large bottle of Don Julio 1942 Tequila as his weapon, Brown inflicted severe and lasting injuries on plaintiff when beating him over the head with crushing blows".

"As plaintiff lay unconscious on the floor, Brown continued to ruthlessly stomp on the defenceless plaintiff for approximately 30 seconds", it goes on.

Full version of this story online: To find out why Live Nation has been listed as a defendant, and for more details about the allegations, read the full story online.

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

CMU presents sessions at Vill Vill Vest 2023

CMU returns to the Vill Vill Vest showcase festival and music conference in Bergen, Norway next week, this time presenting three sessions as part of the conference programme.

On Thursday 9 Nov at 11am, we will put the spotlight on 'Dance Music's Impact On Communities And Culture'. Dance music shapes our communities, positively impacting on health, wellbeing and happiness, and powering every corner of popular culture.

Earlier this year, researchers from the University Of Leeds and University Of Central Lancashire collaborated with the Night Time Industries Association and Association For Electronic Music on a new report reviewing and synthesising academic research that demonstrates the depth and value of dance music. The lead author, James Cannon, will present key findings - and then join CMU's Chris Cooke to discuss what the wider music industry can learn from the study.

Also on Thursday 9 Nov, at midday, we will host the session 'Maximising The Rights Of Music-Makers', posing the question: "As streaming and user-generated content platforms create new income streams and the music industry explores Web3, the metaverse and AI, how can artists and songwriters protect their rights and make money?"

CMU will run through the different rights and revenues provided by copyright, as well as the importance of publicity rights and trademarks. Then Rachael Heely from law firm Simkins and music rights expert Becky Brook will offer guidance for artists, writers and their business partners on how to navigate digital music's evolving landscape and seize the opportunities.

Finally, on Friday 10 Nov at midday, we present 'Connecting Music Markets: Taking Artists Into The UK'. What do artists and their business partners need to know in order to pursue new opportunities in new markets? Putting the spotlight in particular on the UK market, we will be joined by Jess Patridge, Ben Blackburn and Henriette Heimdal to discuss their work supporting Norwegian and other international artists as they seek new opportunities in the UK.

What know-how and contacts do you need - and what support is available? And what challenges do artists face as they seek to build a fanbase and do business in a new country?

Click here for more information on this year's full Vill Vill Vest programme

ARTIST NEWS

Jay-Z discusses reclaiming his recording rights from Def Jam

Jay-Z has spoken about how he secured ownership of the rights in his Def Jam released albums, suggesting that - having gone through that process in the 2000s - he is in no mood to sell his music rights in a mega-bucks deal any time soon.

Instead he is leaving any decision about a catalogue sale to his children in the more distant future.

The rapper made the comments in an interview with CBS News recorded at the 'Book Of HOV' exhibit that is currently being staged at Brooklyn Public Library. During that conversation, interviewer Gayle King notes how many artists have been selling the rights in their music in recent years.

“I get why people do it", he says, but adds, "I’ve been fortunate enough to make money in this place, but for me, [getting to own my rights] was the fight of my life".

Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label allied with Universal Music’s Def Jam ahead of the release of his second album ‘In My Lifetime, Vol 1’ in 1997. The major label got the rights in the rapper's recordings through that deal, but he was ultimately able to negotiate them back when he became President of the Universal division in 2004.

He told King: “You know from being an independent company from the beginning and then going through the Def Jam system, not really understanding how that works, and them having my masters. Then going back to Def Jam as the President and then saying, ‘Okay, I’ll do this job and part of this job is my masters have to be reverted back to me'. I want my kids to see my work and if they decide to sell it, then it’s up to them".

Elsewhere in the interview, Jay-Z discusses his 2008 headline set at the Glastonbury Festival, and the criticism that booking initially garnered, especially from a certain Noel Gallagher.

He says that, amid that criticism, he did think "if they don't want me there, I won't go". However, then Chris Martin intervened.

"He was like, 'Jay they love you. It's just like the old guard, they don't know, it's always been a rock festival’. They didn't have anything against me personally, it was just like, this is a rock festival, this is what it is, but the world was changing".

You can watch the interview here: part one and part two.

AND FINALLY

Eminem launches Mom's Spaghetti pasta sauce

Eminem last week announced that fans can now buy jars of Mom's Spaghetti pasta sauce online, meaning they no longer have to travel all the way to Detroit in order to sample it. Although, given the website set up to sell the sauce seems to have already sold out, maybe they do.

A Mom's Spaghetti pasta restaurant opened in the rapper's home town of Detroit in 2021, named - obviously - for the line in his track 'Lose Yourself' that goes "there's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti".

The idea of setting up a Mom's Spaghetti restaurant began in 2017 with a pop-up store endorsed by the rapper and then pasta-selling stands at some music festivals. But what if you want to use Mom's Spaghetti pasta sauce in your own recipes at home?

Well, last week on Instagram, Eminem announced that was now a possibility. "From the D 2 ur kitchen”, he wrote, “#momsspaghetti sauce is droppin 10/26".

It did indeed drop, with an official blurb declaring: "The thing about Mom’s Spaghetti is that it was born with a clear mission: taste like a leftover sauce the first time around. Those second day sauces bring something else to the table… something seasoned and experienced".

"Just crack open the jar", the blurb goes on, "heat a batch up and add your favourite s’ghetti or noodles: you’re ready to serve up a dish that won’t let you down".

Despite selling for $13 per 25 oz jar, demand was seemingly high, with the rapper's sauce selling website already sold out. But I'm sure Eminem's in the kitchen right now cooking up a new batch. Let him leave it standing long enough to ensure that "leftover sauce" taste and I'm certain you'll be able to order your own supply soon.