According to confirmed reports, authorities have arrested Nima Momeni, an IT tech company owner, for the stabbing death of CashApp founder Bob Lee.

An arrest warrant was issued for Momeni in the April 4 stabbing of Lee in San Francisco after it was revealed that Lee and the Expand IT owner were driving in a car registered to the alleged assailant when a physical confrontation occurred between the two men. A knife was discovered not far from the scene, which police believe Momeni used to stab Lee.

Police say that the stabbing was not a robbery ora random crime.

No further information has been released about the incident, but TheSource.com will update this story as more details develop.

The post Tech Exec Arrested For Murder Of Cash App Founder Bob Lee appeared first on The Source.

Lil Durk is letting everyone into the closed-off realm of investing in music rights thanks to an exclusive relationship with Exceed Talent Capital. Starting with his upcoming new song “Bedtime” starring Doodie Lo, Lil Durk is enabling fans to own shares of songs from his OTF label. On the OTF webstore via the Exceed app, fans can purchase shares in future music revenues produced from the song. Everyone may invest in music rights thanks to Lil Durk’s mission.

A percentage of “Bedtime” revenues will be given to Lil Durk’s Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, which supports impoverished areas across the country, as a way to honor the collaboration between OTF and Exceed. Instead of a one-time payment, Neighborhood Heroes will be the legal owner of a share of the song, a musical asset that will perpetually generate royalties.

“Where I’m from, few own anything, so I’m always looking for ways to give back to my people,” shares Lil Durk. “Exceed makes it possible for my fans and community to become part of our team and share in the success of OTF with me and my artists.” 

Investment funds find music rights to be a very appealing asset class, but when private money spends billions acquiring the most renowned music, the people who create and shape culture are left out. Exceed intends to change that by giving fans the opportunity to directly support artists and acquire their favorite songs. Reg A+ securities of music are offered by Exceed, an SEC-compliant trading platform, and can be purchased, sold, and used to generate income.

Exceed President, Anthony Martini, adds, “Streams, follows, and likes are all pretty passive, but when you actually own a slice of the music, you become part of the story and can share in its success. That’s the ultimate engagement.” 

You can learn more about Exceed Talent Capital here.

The post Lil Durk to Donate Portion of “Bedtime” Royalties to Neighborhood Heroes Foundation as Part of New Partnership appeared first on The Source.

With Raggaeton remaining a dominant force on TikTok, Karol G, and Shakira’s “TQG” found a way to break through and become the top trending Latin song on the platform last week. Traditional and regional Latin genres that don’t get as much radio airplay have seen improved commercial success because of TikTok.

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A post shared by Music on TikTok (@musicontiktok)

Regional Mexican music, a catch-all word that incorporates genres like norteo, corridos, and banda, is leading the charge. This genre went from being absent to a mainstay on the Billboard charts, in part due to the success of regional songs on TikTok. Both “Soy Él Unico” by Yahritza y Su Esencia and “Botella Tras Botella,” which first gained popularity as an original sound on TikTok, debuted at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. “Botella Tras Botella” (344k video productions) by Christian Nodal & Gera.MX was the first regional Mexican hit to chart on the Hot 100.

Mexican regional music is having a big year on TikTok, and Peso Pluma, a 23-year-old singer, is leading the push. Peso Pluma, who has over 1.6 million TikTok followers, is behind some of the year’s biggest hits, such as the Natanael Cano collaboration “PRC” (261k video creations), which gained popularity thanks to a dance that utilizes the song’s distinctive trumpet hook, and the Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma joint effort “Ella Baila Sola,” which generated over 470k video creations.

@odalysve Esoeren el final @Natanael Cano ♬ PRC – Peso Pluma & Natanael Cano

Peso is currently in the spotlight thanks to his collaboration with Yng Lvcas, “La Bebe,” which generated over 40k creations and peaked as #2 on TikTok’s list of the week’s most popular songs. Peso Pluma has five singles that have reached the Billboard Hot 100 as a result of TikTok, including “PRC” (#64), “La Bebe” (#26), and “Ella Baila Sola,” which recently reached the highest-charting position for a regional Mexican song in chart history at #17.

The post SOURCE LATINO: TikTok Serving as a Launchpad for Regional Mexican Artists to the Billboard Charts appeared first on The Source.

Nick Cannon is turning his talents to radio, specifically Amazon’s live radio app Amp.

The Daily Cannon, a new morning program presented by Nick Cannon, will debut on Amp on Monday, April 24, at 9 a.m. EDT, according to an announcement made by the live radio app from Amazon. The multidimensional talent will serve as a cultural ambassador as he headlines each raw and uncensored show with personally selected new R&B, hip-hop, and pop songs; the inside scoop on celebrity and culture news; and conversations with today’s best musicians, newsmakers, and Amp innovators.

The Daily Cannon on Amp is a cutting-edge radio show that has been redesigned for a live audience that is primarily social. With Amp, listeners can ring in and have live chats with Cannon on the app, allowing him to interact with them in real-time.

“I’m excited to be joining the next generation of live audio entertainment on Amp. Having a place where I can directly connect with listeners five days a week to spotlight the hottest emerging artists, chat about the latest and greatest in music and entertainment, and share real-time announcements in my world and beyond will make The Daily Cannon a show you don’t want to miss,” said host Nick Cannon. “There’s a magical thing that happens when entertainment is unedited and live, and I am excited for our journey ahead.”

Programs on Amp feature a diverse range of emerging and established hosts across the talent spectrum, including artists Nicki Minaj, Halsey, NBA YoungBoy, Joe Budden, NBA star Draymond Green, and artist, producer, and TV personality Kandi Burruss. Anyone can create their own live shows using just their phone.

Ncredible and Justin “Freeze” Fostar are responsible for producing The Daily Cannon. Ben Sumpter and Nick Cannon are the executive producers. The Weiss Agency’s Heather Cohen, Michael Goldman’s management, Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein’s legal counsel, and Michael Goldman are members of Cannon’s team. Bobb & Lezcano Lezcano.

The Amp app can be downloaded in the U.S. iOS App Store here.

The post Nick Cannon Set to Host New Radio Show ‘The Daily Cannon’ on Amp appeared first on The Source.

Even though April Fools Day was over a week ago, the jokes apparently have not stopped for Elon Musk. Over the weekend, the eccentric Twitter CEO apparently defaced…his own business’s sign.

For reasons completely unclear, Musk had covered up the “w” on the company’s sign outside of its headquarters in San Francisco. While some assumed that it was a routine maintenance or repair issue, it appeared that Musk had done it….just because.

However, while some fans thought that the stunt was funny, the building’s landlord was apparently not having it, stating that the sign could not be altered from its previously-approved design.

Apparently Musk (or one of his staff) may have found a loophole in the contract that allowed them to paint the “w” the background color of the sign (white). While some people were unsure whether the painting was the work of vandalism, Musk proudly took credit on Sunday on (where else?) Twitter, showing off the new sign.

No word if the social media platform will officially be changing its name any time soon.

The post Elon Musk Paints over ‘W’ on Twitter Headquarters Sign, now reads ‘Titter’ appeared first on The Source.

Bob Lee, the creator of Cash App, was found fatally stabbed early Tuesday (Apr.4) near downtown San Francisco.

NBC reports San Francisco Police Department responded to a stabbing victim around 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday and found Lee suffering from the wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he would die.

At the time of his death, Lee operated as the Chief Product Office of MobileCoin.

“Bob was a force of nature. Helped to birth Android and CashApp into our world,” Joshua Goldbard, the CEO of MobileCoin told ABC7 News. “Moby was his dream: a privacy protecting wallet for the 21st Century. I will miss him every day.”

There have been no arrests made in Lee’s death.

The post Cash App Creator Bob Lee Stabbed to Death in San Francisco appeared first on The Source.

Lil Durk, the Platinum recording artist, has recently made a major move into the tech space through the world of fashion with his co-founded phygital sneaker collection, NXTG3NZ. The collection, which stands for Next Generation Z with the 3 representing Web3, is a unique project bringing together the worlds of physical and digital experiences.

With a passion for fashion and sneakers, Lil Durk has been seen with Amiri on the runway and has now taken his love for fashion to a new level with NXTG3NZ. The team behind the collection consists of elite creatives and music and sports executives. They are working hard to ensure that the sneakers are not only fashionable but of the highest quality.

The only way to receive the physical sneaker is to purchase the NFT, making it an exclusive experience for sneaker collectors and fans alike, as well as a leading project in the Phygital space.

Lil Durk’s move into the tech space through NXTG3NZ shows that he is stepping into his entrepreneurial self and has major interests from venture funds and major brands already.

The project is gaining momentum and attention globally from sneaker enthusiasts.

Adam Weitsman, a prominent billionaire figure in the recycling industry and mentor to Lil Durk was gifted the first pair of physical sneakers.

Jessica T. Chin, CMO at Algorand Foundation, former WhatsApp and Nike marketing leader, “NXTG3NZ is built on Algorand to bring real value for Lil Durk’s fans. As the pioneers of scaling blockchain infrastructure, we are thrilled to partner with Lil Durk as a platform for change and creativity. Algorand continues to enable real world utility connecting both physical and digital worlds.”

The post Lil Durk’s Entry Into the Tech Space Through the World of Phygital Fashion: NXTG3NZ appeared first on The Source.

In the past two years, the hip-hop community has embraced technology like never before. In addition to dropping new hits, many artists are also dropping their own custom NFTs. Hip-hop stars Havoc of Mobb Deep, Saigon, and Jahlil Beats became the latest artists to capitalize on this trend, bridging the gap between old school and new with their recent ’50 Years of Hip-Hop’ NFT drop on the new Web3 metaverse platform m.Verse.

The new  NFT pass gives owners an all-access pass to multiple digital experiences on the new platform including over 50 special performances and events featuring Hip-Hop legends and Web3 music innovators as well as other perks including an exclusive area in the m.Verse metaverse, and access to the digital Hip Hop Museum along with exclusive memorabilia, merch, digital albums, and airdrops. 

M.Verse chose this drop to be one of the ones that kicked off their launch as a way to celebrate the immeasurable contribution of hip-hop to global music and culture as well as a way to merge the traditional music space with the new digital Web3 technologies – The NFT collection. 

Additionally, the platform is hosting a celebration of women in the hip-hop space and those pushing forward with Web3 festivities and concerts happening from March 28th to March 30th.

The trio are some of the most recent hip-hop artists with their own NFT. Other artists with their own NFT include Soulja Boy, Quavo, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, Azealia Banks, Lil Pump, Post Malone, Jack Harlow, and more.

The post Havoc of Mobb Deep, Saigon, and Jahlil Beats Launch ’50 Years of Hip-Hop’ NFT Collection appeared first on The Source.

The tech industry is getting another hit. Amazon has announced the intention to lay off 9.000 additional employees. According to Variety, that number will be on top of the 18,000 jobs that were announced to be cut on Monday.

Among the divisions that will be impacted is Twitch. Amazon is also said to be ready to downsize the Amazon Web Services (AWS), People, Experience and Technology (PXT), and advertising areas. Last week, Twitch CEO Emmett Shear resigned following a 16-year leadership tenure.

The final call for job cuts will be mid to late April, according to CEO Andy Jassy. The job cuts are reportedly fueled by economic “uncertainty.”

“This was a difficult decision, but one that we think is best for the company long term,” Jassy wrote.

The full Amazon memo from CEO Jassy can be read here. Layoffs are also hitting Meta, Facebook’s parent company. You can read that here.

The post Twitch Employees Among 9,000 To Be Laid off by Amazon appeared first on The Source.

The Meta company is making headlines after the Facebook-parent company announced a layoff of an additional 10,000 workers. This is the company’s second round of job cuts in the past four months.

According to CNN Business, CEO Mark Zuckerburg revealed the job cuts will occur “over the next couple months.”

In a memo, Zuckerburg wrote, “We expect to announce restructurings and layoffs in our tech groups in late April, and then our business groups in late May.

The complete run of layoffs is believed to take as long as the end of 2023 to complete.

“At this point, I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,” Zuckerberg added. “Higher interest rates lead to the economy running leaner, more geopolitical instability leads to more volatility, and increased regulation leads to slower growth and increased costs of innovation.”

The post Mark Zuckerburg and Meta Announce 10,000 Layoffs to come to Facebook Parent Company appeared first on The Source.

Wyclef Jean had his first-ever stay in the hospital, but he is delivering a message to fans that he is doing ok.

Speaking with TMZ, Wyclef Jean stated he felt numb on the right side of his face and went to a doctor immediately. That doctor then sent him to the ER.

On Instagram, Wyclef wrote, “Sometimes we forget our body is our temple. Be back soon.”

Wyclef stated Dr. Waleed Lashin let Wyclef know the hospital stay and numbness resulted from exhaustion and stress-related. Wyclef is now back at home, and more tests are scheduled.

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A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

Wyclef Jean has always had his hands on many different things.  Now, the former Fugees member is taking his talents to the automotive industry.  On Monday (March 6), Jean showed off his new electric vehicle in an Instagram post.  The caption read, “U S A premier Attucks Apex AP0 welcoming my Electric SuperCar…. Little Haiti We Up!!!!”

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A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

His new vehicle is the Attucks Apex AP0, a two-seat lightweight supercar.  It is said to be the lightest electric supercar in the world, weighing less than 2,700 pounds.  The car was designed in the United Kingdom but built in the United States.  Jean called it his dream car on Twitter.  It was first revealed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Country and Golf Course this past weekend in Florida.

Though the Attucks Apex has been released, consumers won’t be able to purchase it until the Winter of 2024.  The electric vehicle is set to be priced at $350,000 with a high speed of 190 miles per hour.  The car has the capacity to reach 60 miles per hour in 2-3 seconds!  The “Sweetest Girl” rapper continues to help improve his birth nation, Haiti.  With this new vehicle, Jean has plans to have its headquarters right in Little Haiti, Miami.

Wyclef spoke about his new supercar on Twitter.

“Attucks Apex AP0 EV Supercar also marks the launch of my new platform, #AttucksFuture and technology; we will voice and create dreams in the community.”

The post Wyclef Jean Updates Fans After Hospitalization for Exhaustion: ‘We Forget Our Body is our Temple’ appeared first on The Source.

OpenAI unveiled GPT-4, which according to them, is capable of performing well on standardized tests. OpenAI further reveals that the updated technology passed a law school bar exam with a score in the top 10% of test takers. The older version, GPT-3.5, scored around the bottom 10%. Equally impressive, GPT-4 can also read, analyze or generate up to 25,000 words of text, and write code in all major programming languages, according to the company.

GPT-4 is a multimodal large language model, which means it can respond to both text and images. “Give it a photo of the contents of your fridge and ask it what you could make, and GPT-4 will try to come up with recipes that use the pictured ingredients. It’s also great at explaining jokes, says Sutskever, OpenAI’s Chief Scientist. “If you show it a meme, it can tell you why it’s funny.”

Within hours after its release, several users said they created computer games in less than a minute by simply asking the chatbot to generate code, resulting in near-perfect renditions of Tetris and Connect Four.

We are happy to confirm that the new Bing is running on GPT-4, which we’ve customized for search,” Microsoft said. “If you’ve used the new Bing preview at any time in the last five weeks, you’ve already experienced an early version of this powerful model.”  According to CNN, while ChatGPT has impressed many users with its ability to generate original essays, stories and song lyrics in response to user prompts since its November 2022 launch, it has also raised some concerns. AI chatbots, including tools from Microsoft and Google, have been called out in recent weeks for being emotionally reactive, making factual errors and engaging in outright “hallucinations,” as the industry calls it.

To use GPT-4, users have to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, which has a  $20 monthly subscription, for premium access to the service. 

The post The Technology Behind ChatGPT Gets More Powerful and Scarier appeared first on The Source.

TikTok is on the clock. The Biden administration has warned the tech giant that it is facing a ban in the United States if its Chinese owners do not sell their stakes in the social media platforms.

The order was given by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), highlighting China and the social media app having nearly 100 million users in the United States.

CNN notes TikTok confirmed receiving the request but denied the possibility of providing details.

“If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. “A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated America has “failed to produce evidence that TikTok threatens US national security.”

In 2022, Congress and Joe Biden passed legislation blocking TikTok from US Government devices, which the European Union and Canada followed.

The post Biden Administration to TikTok: Remove Chinese Ownership or Face U.S. Ban appeared first on The Source.

Wyclef Jean had his first-ever stay in the hospital, but he is delivering a message to fans that he is doing ok.

Speaking with TMZ, Wyclef Jean stated he felt numb on the right side of his face and went to a doctor immediately. That doctor then sent him to the ER.

On Instagram, Wyclef wrote, “Sometimes we forget our body is our temple. Be back soon.”

Wyclef stated Dr. Waleed Lashin let Wyclef know the hospital stay and numbness resulted from exhaustion and stress-related. Wyclef is now back at home, and more tests are scheduled.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

Wyclef Jean has always had his hands on many different things.  Now, the former Fugees member is taking his talents to the automotive industry.  On Monday (March 6), Jean showed off his new electric vehicle in an Instagram post.  The caption read, “U S A premier Attucks Apex AP0 welcoming my Electric SuperCar…. Little Haiti We Up!!!!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

His new vehicle is the Attucks Apex AP0, a two-seat lightweight supercar.  It is said to be the lightest electric supercar in the world, weighing less than 2,700 pounds.  The car was designed in the United Kingdom but built in the United States.  Jean called it his dream car on Twitter.  It was first revealed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Country and Golf Course this past weekend in Florida.

Though the Attucks Apex has been released, consumers won’t be able to purchase it until the Winter of 2024.  The electric vehicle is set to be priced at $350,000 with a high speed of 190 miles per hour.  The car has the capacity to reach 60 miles per hour in 2-3 seconds!  The “Sweetest Girl” rapper continues to help improve his birth nation, Haiti.  With this new vehicle, Jean has plans to have its headquarters right in Little Haiti, Miami.

Wyclef spoke about his new supercar on Twitter.

“Attucks Apex AP0 EV Supercar also marks the launch of my new platform, #AttucksFuture and technology; we will voice and create dreams in the community.”

The post Wyclef Jean Updates Fans After Hospitalization for Exhaustion: ‘We Forget Our Body is our Temple’ appeared first on The Source.

Words by: Brandon Simmons

Compton rapper The Game is one of the many people to invest in cryptocurrency.  He backs a crypto startup company, ParagonCoin Limited, which is mainly involved in the marijuana industry.

Recently, the ex-G-Unit member’s crypto company had its registration revoked via the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  The SEC claims the company has not filed periodic reports since 2019.  The commission also reports that they have sent letters to ParagonCoin Limited regarding the need to complete the necessary reports.  The letters were never answered.

The “Wouldn’t Get Far” rapper’s company has had issues since its initial offering in 2017.  In 2021, the company was sued for violating securities laws during the initial offering four years prior.  ParagonCoin now owes over $12 million in damages, which is the $12 million the company raised in its Initial Coin Offering.

According to ParagonCoin’s official website, the crypto company is filing for bankruptcy.  In a statement, the firm credits the lawyers they hired as for why the company has become insolvent. 

“Our goal was to build a much-needed decentralized solution for the cannabis industry, however, our plans were impossible to achieve due to several legal mistakes….we sought out the guidance of highly recommended lawyers that were supposed to help, unfortunately they misguided and failed us.”

The post The Game’s Crypto Company Registration Revoked appeared first on The Source.

The Meta company is making headlines after the Facebook-parent company announced a layoff of an additional 10,000 workers. This is the company’s second round of job cuts in the past four months.

According to CNN Business, CEO Mark Zuckerburg revealed the job cuts will occur “over the next couple months.”

In a memo, Zuckerburg wrote, “We expect to announce restructurings and layoffs in our tech groups in late April, and then our business groups in late May.

The complete run of layoffs is believed to take as long as the end of 2023 to complete.

“At this point, I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,” Zuckerberg added. “Higher interest rates lead to the economy running leaner, more geopolitical instability leads to more volatility, and increased regulation leads to slower growth and increased costs of innovation.”

The post Mark Zuckerburg and Meta Announce 10,000 Layoffs to come to Facebook Parent Company appeared first on The Source.

Fans were holding a funeral for legendary mixtape platform Datpiff a little bit too soon. Fans noticed the site was down, leading to rumors that the mixtape hub had run its course.

Hitting Twitter, Datpiff revealed they are still around, just working through tech issues.

“Despite the rumors, we are happy to report that we will still be supplying you with all the mixtapes you love,” Datpiff’s official Twitter wrote. “We’re working through technical issues on our site and app, but still actively update our youtube! Thanks for all the love and concerns but we promise, we are still here.”

A post from Reddit claimed the site was no longer responsive after months of acting slowly. Turns out it is just in update mode. The iOS web app is currently experiencing bugs and the Android version is currently not available.

Thankfully, Datpiff is still around.

The post DatPiff Eases Rap Fans Minds After Rumors of Shut Down: ‘We Are Still Here’ appeared first on The Source.

Xavier “X” Jernigan, Spotify’s Head of Cultural Partnerships, could hardly contain his excitement when reflecting on the iconic five mics ratings that took place on The Source. In fact, he even remembers De La Soul’s fourth album Stakes Is High getting a mere four mics. “But that really should have been five mics, at least four and half,” he states.

Born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida, but living in Brooklyn half his life, Jernigan is the new voice of Spotify’s newly-launched AI DJ. With AI taking over the foreseeable future, Spotify has taken it upon themselves to take personalization to new heights, offering this new feature that gauges what the listener likes and chooses what to play based on their preferences. 

Essentially, it’s an AI DJ in your back pocket. By simply tapping the DJ button, you can switch the music. The more you listen and offer feedback, the better the recommendations get. Think of your favorite playlist, only it’s X’s voice you hear — the same one that you heard on other Spotify podcasts such as their morning show titled The Get Up.

The Source spoke with X at the Spotify offices in downtown Los Angeles, during their Stream On 2023 event for creators. Read below as we discuss his love for Hip-Hop and The Source, his journey to Spotify, assisting for Diddy, the new AI DJ feature, and more!

For those who don’t know, who is X?

Xavier, my friends call me X. As a human being? I’m nice. I’m myself. I try to be as authentic as possible. I try to treat people as well as I possibly can. I try to be my unapologetic self, and just make connections with people. I thrive on that. I get a sense of purpose from that, so I bring that into everything I do. Hosting, being the voice of AI DJ, I want to make real lasting connections with people. I want people to feel seen and heard. 

When did you fall in love with music?

From birth. My favorite picture that my mom has, I’m three years old. I have this little short set on, my feet don’t touch the ground. I have these huge headphones on, you can see me singing/commentating to the music. There’s a big old record player behind me. It’s been my first love, truly. Music in general, but then Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop grabbed me.

The Source is all Hip-Hop! 

Come on now, five mics was everything! Some of the reviews are etched on my brain. For  example, when De La Soul’s catalog came back on streaming. I’m a big De La fan. I was going through my mind, trying to remember how many mics some of the albums got. I think Stakes Is High got four mics? But that really should have been five mics, at least four and half.

De La Soul’s Stakes Is High, title track off the album. First song, first video. There’s a verse that both Posdnuos and rest in peace, Dave Trugoy said. There’s a line Posdnuos says: “every word I would say should be a Hip-Hop quotable.” That was a Hip-Hop quotable! That’s so dope they said that, and made it a Hip-Hop quotable. I used to look in The Source for all that. 

That helped me to know you can be in front of the camera, in front of the mic, behind the mic, all these different jobs in the industry. Because I will read all those credits, and that put me on a path to knowing I can have a career in this.

Hip Hop celebrates 50 years this year. What does Hip-Hop mean to you?

Hip-Hop means life, it means culture. It drives this country. It’s the last original American art form that went out in the world, it moves the world. I’m excited because I’m guest curator for Lincoln Center for the Hip-Hop 50th anniversary concert. We got something dope coming up in August, but just to have the honor to do that. 

Hip-Hop is me, and I’m Hip-Hop. I bring it to everything I do, I don’t try to separate it. All the elements: lyricism, DJing. It’s one of the elements of Hip-Hop. Even when this project came, I’m thinking about all the great DJs. All the mixtapes I listened to. I wanted people to feel the way I felt when I heard those mixtapes. It all ties together: b-boying, graffiti, all of it. 

I watched the AI DJ trailer and loved the nostalgia part. What is nostalgic for you?

Oh man, college. FAMU: Florida A&M University. HBCU pride. I did a five year MBA program. I knew then, I was going to do entertainment, but I had to find a way in. I’m from Florida, Daytona Beach, so I grew up around spring break and NASCAR . People really coming to my city to have a good time. 

MTV and BET’s heyday was at that time, so they’d come down to Daytona. We’d skip school, sneak and go to all those shows. All these people, the biggest artists. That’s when I first felt it was attainable. We knew what hotel they’d stay in, so me and my friends would sneak in. I met Biggie, Diddy, Redman, Method Man, Outkast. I have pictures with them. I met them at what we call the strip in Daytona Beach, right there. It felt attainable to me, being at those shows. Seeing A Tribe Called Quest rock out. 

Took that energy into FAM, all of that shapes you over time. I used to say to people, “I’m going to work in music. I’m going to work in entertainment.” They’d say, “You can do it!” I was always the person telling them what to get on. “Oh, check this out. Oh, did you know…?” Because I read that stuff in The Source or Rolling Stone. I drop little tidbits. So to do that now, for my job? Is so surreal, but it feels right. Because this is who I am. 

When you’re listening to AI DJ, it’s really my personality. My word choices, nobody’s telling me to be anybody other than who I am. That’s why I say my name. That’s why I say, “Hey I’m Xavier. My friends call me X.” That’s literally how I introduce myself to people, it’s no different and it all ties together. I am Hip-Hop, the anniversary means everything. De La’s catalog, this year’s special.

How did you get into the industry?

I went to school again. I went to NYU for a Music Business graduate program, so I got a second Master’s. I was a valedictorian. I’m on the Dean’s Advisory Board now, full circle. I got all these crazy internships, but my first job was Diddy’s personal assistant. He asked me to be his protege. My first full-time paid job right out of NYU. I graduated one day, the next week I was with him 24/7. 20 hours a day, seven days a week. 

How was that?!

Traumatic. But learning the industry firsthand, seeing how he moves, you learn what to do. You also learn what not to do. You learn there’s a way I can do it that fits me. That’s how I got into industry: doing internships, using school as the avenue for me like NYU. Being in New York City where all the labels are, I interned at Bad Boy, Warner Music Group, Columbia’s A&R department. I got a feel.

Even though I’m a Hip-Hop head, I didn’t want to be pigeonholed as the black guy that only does Hip-Hop. It’s easy to do that. I had long locs several years ago, so this is a new look for me. I love all types of music. Grunge rock shaped me too, jazz, samples in Hip-Hop, indie rock. My love for grunge morphed into indie rock, early 2000’s. All the bands: The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Vines. That’s my jam too. 

I did internships at different labels, but the Bad Boy opportunity — Diddy saying “I want you to my protege, and eventually take over”? That’s what the pitch was.

What did Diddy see in you?

I hope he saw a light, somebody who thinks for themselves. I wasn’t trying to be like everybody else. I was content to be myself, and I’m curious. I ask a lot of questions. I want to know about people and make those connections, I think he saw that.

So how did you learn at Spotify?

Spotify was my dream company. I left Bad Boy, went to Universal Motown Republic. I worked at Procter & Gamble and Arm & Hammer before I went to NYU, super corporate. I took all that marketing experience. I shifted from being his personal assistant to digital marketing. I was able to parlay that through somebody at NYU. 

This is why you gotta be nice to people. You gotta treat people good, you gotta connect with them because you never know who’s gonna say your name in a room you’re not in. They were hiring somebody else. This guy I went to school with was doing the same job I was doing at Bad Boy. We ran into each other during a lunch break. He said, “What you doing? Oh we’re hiring. You want to come over here?” 

They were paying more, more artists and opportunity, so I said “yeah.” That’s how I got over to Motown Republic. Amy Winehouse was my big project, I introduced her from a digital marketing perspective to the world. I knew that was gonna be big, the second I heard it. I got promoted very quickly to Director, to Senior Director. I was Erykah Badu’s product manager. I did New Amerykah Part Two. If you look into the credits, you’ll see my name. Really cool marketing campaign. 

I got a lot of trust with artists, in knowing how to help their vision come to life. They trusted me. We’d even be in meetings, they’d say, “X you say it, because you can say it better than I can.” I was trying to help them present their art to the world, in a way that makes people feel what I felt when I heard their music. She was somebody I was listening to for years and years, so to have that connection with her was special. I worked with Q-Tip, one of my musical heroes. Busta Rhymes. 

I went over to Epic. I got this project. “It’s this dude named Future, you’re going to be his product manager.” How are we even gonna get people to Google search Future, for that name to pop up? I was his first product manager, introduced him to the world as an artist. I’ve been able to work with some really cool projects, really big artists. I ended up at Def Jam. 

Wow, you’ve been everywhere!

All the majors, I hit them all. At Def Jam, I was the head of Digital Commerce. I was responsible for the relationships with all the DSPs. The Spotify’s, the Apple’s. Like 2 Chainz, I’ll bring them through and we figure out the plan we’re going to do. They liked the way I did the job. When the job was offered to me, again, didn’t have to interview for it. Somebody said my name: “we need X’s marketing mind to come into Commerce, and change the approach to that job.” My name came up. 

The pitch to me was, “We need to change how it’s done. We need people like you doing this job.” What happened was, I was doing a job being my authentic self. The Spotify’s and the Apple’s start saying to me on the side: “Man, labels need to hire somebody like you to do this job.” A year later, they started saying, “We need somebody like you on this side.” 

In 2016, I came to Spotify as the head of North America for Music Editorial. I led the playlisting teams for US and Canada, that’s what started it off. We needed something to move the culture and connect with the culture on Spotify. I created this team called Cultural Partnerships. My job description became the Head of Cultural Partnerships, which is my executive title now. Partnerships with Netflix, partnerships with HBO. We did Insecure, we brought Disney in through my team. There’s some really cool things, then I started getting asked to host. 

I didn’t even talk about hosting. We barely had any podcasts in 2016. Maybe three or four original podcasts. It was Season Two for this podcast called Showstopper, which is about the memorable music moments in TV shows and films. I randomly got pitched by that team to be the host for Season 2. I said, I never hosted a podcast. I told him upfront. They said “no you’ll learn that, we want you to do it.” I told them, I need to change the music. I need to pick the shows and movies we talk about, I want my input there. 

We did a Spike Lee episode, because I have a relationship with Spike Lee. Wanted to delve into his music choices in his movies, it’s so good. We did an Insecure episode, because music was a big part of Insecure. We wanted to help tell that story on our platform. That led to me hosting another podcast called The Window with Gimlet, about life during the pandemic. Essentially looking out your window and what you see, and people taking a look into your window. 

That led to me hosting The Get Up Spotify morning show, which was this new mix of your personalized music with talk. I was the host of that with a couple other co-hosts. A lot of artist interviews, a lot of celebrity interviews. That led to DJ.

Let’s get into AI DJ, how pivotal is AI in today’s day in age?

It’s everything. That’s how you personalize. Without the use of AI, you wouldn’t be able to scale and personalize me. It’d be limited, so that’s the only way. The use of generative AI in the hands of our music experts. We put it so they can put the parameters around it from an editorial standpoint, this is where their writing comes in. This comes full circle because our music team, the editors in our writers room can output context around the songs they’re putting on the playlist.

Those fun facts I talked about earlier that I’d say with my friends, we’re giving that context. Because we know if you give context around the songs that we’re choosing for them, people are more likely to listen to a new song we’re suggesting for you, than you would if it just popped up in one of your playlists. We already knew that. We said if we had this hyperrealistic voice that makes a connection with people, feels warm, with some really playful, fun, commentary that connects with people — that’s down-to-earth, your friend, your companion, with really, really good music choices, we think we’ll be on to something. That’s what DJ is. 

They said, “Hey, the list is one person. Is you. We want you to do it.” Of course, I

said yeah.

What services does AI DJ offer?

It offers a simple solution to a problem that people don’t realize they have. People struggle with deciding what you’re going to listen to, we completely simplified that for you. You just press play, I’m going to set it up for you. You’re going to get a five-song segment of different moods, it’s not going to be all over the place. In that segment is going to be a certain vibe, maybe an editorial playlist.

For example, it could be our R&B flagship playlist. It can be Hot Country. It’s The Source, so RapCaviar or Gold School. It’ll give you one of those. If that’s not your vibe, you press the DJ button. I come back and I switch it up. It gives you nostalgia, it could give you something new in different genres. It’s a simple solution to a problem that people don’t even realize they have.

The post Spotify’s Xavier “X” Jernigan Talks AI DJ, the Streaming Giant’s New Feature appeared first on The Source.

Words by: Brandon Simmons

In 2011, R&B crooner Miguel released his hit song “Sure Thing.”  12 years later, it remains a hit-thanks largely to TikTok.  Amid finishing up his new album, Miguel just recently found out about the song’s performance on TikTok.  It is performing so well that “Sure Thing” has landed in the Top 10 on the UK charts!  Also, New Zealand and other European countries have seen the song climb their charts too.

TikTok creators have been using the sped-up version of “Sure Thing” to dance to, calling it the “Sure Thing” challenge.  Miguel feels it is “fascinating” how a song so old is still relevant today.

“Getting the information that something of mine from so long ago is picking up, and exponentially picking up, week by week, is just fascinating.”

The Los Angeles singer is no stranger to seeing success on the Billboard charts, as when “Sure Thing” first debuted in 2011, it was highly ranked.  It was number one on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number seven on their Adult R&B Songs chart, and came in at number 14 on Billboard’s Rhythmic chart.

Now, in 2023, the hit song has reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, surpassing the previous position.  In 2011, “Sure Thing” debuted at number 36.

The post Miguel’s “Sure Thing” Is Popular Again, Skyrocketing Up UK Charts Due to TikTok appeared first on The Source.

Words by: Brandon Simmons

Wyclef Jean has always had his hands on many different things.  Now, the former Fugees member is taking his talents to the automotive industry.  On Monday (March 6), Jean showed off his new electric vehicle in an Instagram post.  The caption read, “U S A premier Attucks Apex AP0 welcoming my Electric SuperCar…. Little Haiti We Up!!!!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean)

His new vehicle is the Attucks Apex AP0, a two-seat lightweight supercar.  It is said to be the lightest electric supercar in the world, weighing less than 2,700 pounds.  The car was designed in the United Kingdom but built in the United States.  Jean called it his dream car on Twitter.  It was first revealed at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island Country and Golf Course this past weekend in Florida.

Though the Attucks Apex has been released, consumers won’t be able to purchase it until the Winter of 2024.  The electric vehicle is set to be priced at $350,000 with a high speed of 190 miles per hour.  The car has the capacity to reach 60 miles per hour in 2-3 seconds!  The “Sweetest Girl” rapper continues to help improve his birth nation, Haiti.  With this new vehicle, Jean has plans to have its headquarters right in Little Haiti, Miami.

Wyclef spoke about his new supercar on Twitter.

“Attucks Apex AP0 EV Supercar also marks the launch of my new platform, #AttucksFuture and technology; we will voice and create dreams in the community.”

Congratulations are in order for the 53-year-old entrepreneur, but he is not the first rapper to have their own vehicle.  Last year, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, unveiled a new Mercedes AMG 4-Door Coupe.  He called it the WILL.I.AMG as it is a part coupe, part SUV.  His new Mercedes will be present at the Formula One race in Miami this weekend for the first time.

The post Wyclef Jean Announces the Launch of His Attucks Apex AP0 Electric Supercar appeared first on The Source.

By revoking copyright registration it had previously granted for a comic book whose artwork was created by an AI-powered image generator, the U.S. Copyright Office has effectively ruled that AI-generated images are not eligible for copyright protection in the U.S. 

Kris Kashtanova is a New York-based artist who created the graphic novel Zarya of the Dawn.  Kashtonova wrote the story, created the layout and organized the presentation of the images.  The images were generated by Midjourney, a commercial image synthesis service that uses the latent diffusion process.

Latent diffusion models are used to generate detailed images from text descriptions, by mapping an image generator to text descriptions.  Effectively, the user can input a text description of the image they want created, and the latent diffusion model will generate detailed image based on those parameters.

Kashtanova registered the copyright in Zarya of the Dawn with the Copyright Office in 2022, claiming that the artwork was not created entirely by the AI, but had been created by her with AI assistance.  The Copyright Office has previously rejected copyrights registered to AI as the author – however, it has not ruled against copyrights in AI artwork where the author is a person.    Here, Kashtanova was granted copyright registration for Zarya of the Dawn in September 2022.

However, this past Tuesday, the Copyright Office revoked the registration, on the basis that Kashtanova had not disclosed in her application that the images in the comic were created by an AI model.  Apparently, following issuance of the registration, the Copyright Office learned on social media that her comic included AI-generated images.   The Copyright Officer then issued a notice to her in October 2022, requiring her to provide additional information showing why the registration should not be canceled.

Through her attorney, Kashtanova responded that Midjourney was merely an assistive tool, and she had authored every aspect of the work.  The Copyright Office rejected this argument, finding that although she claimed to have “guided” the content of each image, it was Midjourney that had “authored’ the images for purposes of copyright registration.  Accordingly, the portion of her registration covering the images was canceled.

Kashtanova still holds a copyright registration for the other elements of the comic- namely, the text and the selection and coordination of the visual elements.  However, for now, this ruling means that AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted in the United States, and this ruling will likely stand unless it is challenged in court or revised by law.

The post Can You Copyright an AI-Generated Image? The U.S. Copyright Office Says No appeared first on The Source.

Dr. Kamran Rashid Khan, also known as Lazarus, is ready to make world history by becoming the first music artist to debut his song from the International Space Station. Lazarus is a Detroit-based rapper who frequently toured with Wu-Tang Clan and a practicing physician who treated patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He has now teamed up with Jim Green, who has served as NASA’s chief scientist for 42 years, to bring the first song in music to realistically and accurately describe space travel from the point of view of an astronaut.

Hip Hop turned 50 this year, as celebrated at the 2023 Grammy Awards. In a recent live Instagram broadcast with Jim Green, Lazarus discusses the power of Hip Hop over the years. “Hip Hop as a form of music has always been there for the art of expression and to bring awareness to subject matters. And now, utilizing Hip Hop, we can speak on topics like space travel, what’s going on in outer space, terraforming, insights we can gain about pollution, crops, agriculture.” 

This history-making song is called “Pale Blue Dot,” and launches from the ISS on March 11th via a live stream and then be released on all streaming platforms the next day March 12th. This is an extremely proud moment for Hip-Hop and, once again, shows that this art form has no boundaries or limitations.

Check out the interview with Jim Green and Lazarus HERE

The post Hip-Hop Travels to Outer Space With “Pale Blue Dot” Released From Int’l Space Station appeared first on The Source.

Sarah Oh, a former human rights advisor for Twitter, and her friend Gabor Cselle, a former Director at Google, have teamed up to create T2, a rival service to Twitter.

Currently, in beta, T2 offers a post feed with a 280-character limit. However, according to Oh, that’s not the only difference between T2 and Twitter. “We really do want to create an experience that allows people to share what they want to share without fearing risk of things like abuse and harassment, and we feel like we’re really well positioned to deliver on that,” Oh told CNN.

There have also been many creators who have teamed up to create Twitter-esque social media platforms to attract those users who have left Twitter after expressing their distaste for the app following Elon Musk’s takeover. For example, the founders of Instagram announced Artifact, “a personalized news feed” powered by artificial intelligence, a description that quickly earned it comparisons to Twitter. According to CNN, it resembled news reader applications like Apple News or the defunct Google Reader. Artifact displayed popular articles from large media organizations and smaller bloggers in a main feed, tailored to users based on their activity and selected interests. 

Additionally, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell, who served as Twitter’s global head of social and editorial for three years, and  DeVaris Brown, who served as a product manager lead, were let go by Musk and have also teamed up to create their own social media platform, Spill.

According to The Insider, Spill, named for the phrase “spill the tea,” will use blockchain to compensate users for popular posts and include a feature called “tea parties” where users can gather online or in real life to connect. “While Spill is for everyone, we are catering to culture drivers who frequently set new trends yet routinely get overlooked and under compensated,” Terrell tweeted in his announcement of the app. “Yes, we mean Black creators, Queer creators, and a variety of influential voices outside the U.S.”

Following the app’s announcement, Terrell tweeted that Spill had received 20,000 reservations for handles within 12 hours.

The post Fired Twitter and Google Employees Create Rival Social Media Platform appeared first on The Source.

Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records have teamed up with TikTok’s SoundOn to exclusively provide the legendary Death Row library to the TikTok audience for one week before its DSP release.

It has been a year since the storied catalog was accessible. SoundOn, TikTok’s all-in-one artist platform for music distribution, development, and promotion, will distribute the catalog in this groundbreaking collaboration.

Your favorite creators can now use the label’s well-known tracks, such as “Gin and Juice” and “Ain’t No Fun,” as the soundtrack to their most recent dance, dish, or narrative. The venerable studio albums Doggystyle and The Doggfather by Snoop Dogg are included in the recently made catalog. Via the TikTok Sounds Page, creators will also have access to a special playlist that was put together in collaboration with Death Row Records.

“I’m excited for y’all, because Death Row Records is back up for you to enjoy. You can go get that playlist right now and you can listen to any song you want off the catalogue strictly on TikTok… Tell ’em Snoop Dogg sent you.”

– Snoop Dogg via Tiktok

The post TikTok’s SoundOn Partners with Snoop Dogg to Bring Death Row Catalog Exclusively to TikTok appeared first on The Source.

Nas is known for arguably being one of the greater rappers of our time. However, in the past few years, Nas has added a different title to his name, that of a tech investor. Nas has invested in over 40 companies as a founding partner of Queensbridge Venture Partners. Queensbridge Venture Partners is a venture capital firm created by the rapper and his manager, Anthony Saleh. Nas said he decided to get involved in tech investments because he wanted “to be surrounded by the smartest people in the world.”

Nas has quite an impressive investment profile. Here are some of the companies he has invested in, along with their valuations: Dropbox- $10 billion valuation, Lyft- $5.5 billion valuation, Tilt- $400 million valuation, and Robinhood-raised $50 million in Series B. He was also an early investor in Ring, the smart doorbell company. After Amazon acquired Ring, he made $40 million, following Ring’s $415 million in sales in 2018. Nas was also an early investor in Coinbase, an online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing cryptocurrency. His stake is now worth $40 million. 

Earlier this year, Nas teamed up with Google to raise $20 million in financial banking for Carry1st, a South African gaming company. SpongeBob, Mine Rescue, and Match League are just a few of the games released by Carry1st. In an interview with THR, Carry1st co-founder and CEO Cordel Robbin-Coker said, “We’re excited to partner with this world-class group of investors who, in addition to capital, bring expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3. In 2021, we launched multiple games and digital commerce solutions, achieving really strong growth. Together we can accelerate this growth and achieve our goal of becoming the leading consumer internet company in the region.”

At this rate, it does not look like the Queensbridge rapper is slowing down any time soon, and we are here for it. 

The post From Escobar to Investo-bar: Investments by Nas Continue to Run Up His Net Worth appeared first on The Source.

The United States Copyright Office (USCO) recently denied copyright to a work of AI-generated visual art, claiming that it only provides protection to “the fruits of intellectual labor. Anonymous DJ SPLY85 is enthusiastic about the recent debate sparked in the music industry by this decision. In his opinion, lively discourse and smart regulation drive innovation in the right direction. 

“Public discourse like this is important,” SPLY85 says. “The court’s decision makes sense for now as we wrestle with what exactly AI is. We’re entering a complex space when it comes to the ownership rights and creative powers of borderline-sentient technology. Technology is moving fast, and we don’t seem to have the legislative speed to keep up.”

The debate on whether AI-generated art deserves copyright

Whether or not AI-generated compositions deserve the same copyright protection as those created by humans is a complex question without a clear-cut answer. On the one hand, AI-generated compositions can represent a significant investment of time, resources, and creativity. Creators often design advanced algorithms and machine-learning techniques to generate their musical ideas and arrangements.

On the other hand, AI-generated compositions are not the product of the human mind; human composers employ their experiences, emotions, and perspectives as they create original compositions that reflect thoughts and feelings, while AI systems generate compositions based on algorithms and data sets. Because AI systems generate compositions based on patterns and rules, the works they create lack the same emotional depth and expressiveness as those created by human minds. The unpredictability and randomness human composers incorporate add interest and make compositions more engaging. As AI systems generate music based on algorithms, compositions often sound too precise.

“Some argue that AI-generated works demonstrate creativity and originality, and others claim they are simply the result of algorithms and mathematical rules,” says SPLY85. “Today, copyright protection is based on human creativity and intellectual effort, but as the role of AI in the creative process increases, it may soon require changes in current copyright laws.”
 

Pros and cons of copyright protection for AI-generated musical compositions

Recognizing AI-generated compositions as creative output deserving of copyright offers a future with several potential benefits. First, this move could encourage greater innovation in AI technology and its application to the creative arts. It could also create new sources of revenue for human artists, expand the music industry, and create opportunities for human musicians to reach new audiences. Finally, extending copyright privilege would benefit musicians by validating AI as a creative tool at their disposal.

However, moving away from a copyright system based on human creativity and intellectual effort causes some to warn of negative repercussions. Some worry people will place decreasing value on human compositions, which raises ethical and philosophical concerns about the role of AI in society. Recognizing AI-generated compositions with copyright could also lead to conflicts over ownership and royalties.

The future of copyright protection for AI-generated works of music

In the coming years, legal and legislative action will continue to clarify the relationship between AI and copyright. Future decisions are likely to be shaped by technological advancements, legal and legislative developments, and public attitudes and opinions.

Copyright laws may be modified or adapted to better reflect the realities of a world in which AI plays a more significant role in the creation of creative works. Alternatively, new forms of legal protection may be created specifically for AI-generated works.

“Today’s copyright laws were designed for a world where creative works were solely the product of human authorship,” concludes SPLY85. “They aren’t equipped to handle the emerging realities of AI-generated compositions. The copyright debate raises important questions about the nature of creativity and the role of technology in the creative process. Keep an open mind and stay informed on this issue because it will have a significant impact on the future of the creative industries and the role of AI in our society.”

The post Do Musical Compositions Created with AI Technology Deserve Copyright? appeared first on The Source.

TikTok unveiled their first-ever Visionary Voices list, which honors Black creatives, small business owners, and culture changemakers on TikTok, as well as #BlackTikTok programming and initiatives to commemorate Black History Month, such as special guest and album playlists, a week-long #womeninhiphop celebration, and more!

The #BlackTikTok community is at the vanguard of culture and creativity, from creating viral dances and sounds to teaching neglected Black history and celebrating Black Joy through music, fashion, wellness, and more. TikTok honors #BlackTikTok this Black History Month and throughout the year to highlight the impact this community has had on culture as large.

TikTok celebrates Black History Month by highlighting the innovators, changemakers, and small companies at the forefront of #BlackTikTok and culture in general. Our festivities will feature the release of our first Visionary Voices list, the third edition of our Visionary Voices Media Salon series, Black music playlists, LIVE programming, and more.

You can learn about the creators below.

@_itzpsyiconic_ (Houston, TX) – On TikTok, Kelon has constructed an entire universe (dubbed the “Terriverse”) of complete disorder. Kelon has delivered smiles to his devoted followers nightly on TikTok LIVE while portraying his infamous personas Terri Joe, Jeorgia Peach, and Amethyst Jade. His material is not for the faint of heart, but it guarantees a good time and a good chuckle.

@cozy.games (San Francisco, CA) – Kennedy is a game developer and lifestyle designer that focuses on infusing warmth into all facets of life. With inspirational content and game recommendations, she hopes to invite more individuals into the “cozy” side of the gaming community.

@emmanuel.uddenberg (Toronto, Canada) – Emmanuel Uddenberg is a TikTok creator from Toronto who mixes his love of fashion and creativity via his films. His taste in minimalism and modern aesthetics, as well as his laid-back manner, pervade his account, creating a tranquil atmosphere for individuals looking for everyday style inspiration.

@kahlilgreene (New York, NY) – Kahlil Greene, dubbed the “Gen Z Historian,” is a digital educator best known for his Hidden History series, which delves into instances of American injustice. Kahlil is a Yale University alumnus who served as the college’s first Black president in its 318-year existence. His purpose is to provide young people with a knowledge of why American society runs the way it does through commentary on US politics and culture.

@xoxoemira (New York, NY) – Kahlil Greene, dubbed the “Gen Z Historian,” is a digital educator best known for his Hidden History series, which delves into instances of American injustice. Kahlil is a Yale University alumnus who served as the college’s first Black president in its 318-year existence. His purpose is to provide young people with a knowledge of why American society runs the way it does through commentary on US politics and culture.

@chikybomreal (Miami, FL) – Chikybombom, Lisette Eduardo, is a social media celebrity, businesswoman, and media influencer. She is originally from the Dominican Republic and is one of the most well-known internet personalities, with over 10.3 million netizens following her on TikTok.

@icespicee (New York, NY) – “You thought I was feelin you?” has become a popular line on social media, thanks to Bronx rapper/singer Ice Spice. That question was first addressed by the 23-year-old rising singer on her viral song “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and it has been up ever since. While Ice Spice is steadily rising through the ranks as the First Lady of Bronx Drill, she has much more in store for her—crossing genres and expanding her reach beyond New York City.

@keith_lee125 (Las Vegas, NV) – Keith Lee is a creative based in Las Vegas, Nevada who utilizes his platform to spotlight small-owned and family-run businesses that may have excellent food and service but are not widely known. He uses his meal review method to deliver his honest opinion while doing one of his favorite things: eating.

@lynaevanee (Atlanta, GA) – Lynae Vanee, a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee, is an Atlanta-based poet, producer, director, and starring performer. Lynae, a Spelman College and Boston University graduate with a Master of Arts in African American Studies, uses her digital platforms to discuss race, feminism, politics, and inclusivity.

@maiyathedon (New York, NY) – Maiya The Don is a Brooklyn-bred Hip Hop artist known for her huge personality and braggadocious punchlines, and she’s on a mission to make everyone feel as confident as she does. Maiya, a 20-year-old makeup artist and beauty maker on TikTok, is soaring to prominence with her new single “Telfy,” which pays homage to Black-Owned fashion brand Telfar.

@brandonblackwoodnyc (Brooklyn, NY) – Brandon Blackwood was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and is the Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of his own brand. He is a first-generation American born to Jamaican and Chinese parents, and he founded Brandon Blackwood NYC in 2015, which is heavily influenced by his personal life, since each bag is named after his family, close friends, or places he has lived. He was also nominated for a CFDA Award for Best Accessory Designer recently, and his brand has subsequently grown into eyeglasses, outerwear, and footwear.

@danessamyricksbeauty (Bethpage, NY) – Danessa Myrick’s has been a celebrated makeup artist and educator for over 25 years. Her multi-use products enable beauty lovers of all skin tones and skill levels to create, modify, and explore a world of beauty without borders.

@juicybodygoddess (Charlotte, NC) – Summer Lucille is a Charlotte, NC-based creator and entrepreneur that blends her love of fashion and developing women’s confidence through TikTok videos. She tells people that they are appreciated and encourages everyone to love their size, belly, and body, regardless of size or weight.

@spicekitchengrill (Brentwood, MD) – Olumide Shokubi, the founder and proprietor of Spice Kitchen, is a first-generation Nigerian-American committed to reforming, educating, and empowering Black people globally. General Manager Marcus Bryan seeks to promote the beauty of Black cuisine by sharing the jewel that is West African street food with the globe through creative videos on TikTok.

@urbandessertlab (New York, NY) – Urban Dessert Lab, the World’s First Oat-Milk Ice Crème Shoppe, was founded by Courtney B. and Zan B.R. The duo has a cult following and nationwide media and celebrity recognition for their plant-based concoctions, which include artisanal soft serve, hard scoop ice crème, cakes, toppings, and mix-ins, with a location in New York City and a second one coming soon to West Hollywood, CA. Zan and Courtney regularly collaborate with organizations that raise awareness about social justice problems and use TikTok as a platform for community interaction, involvement, and the sharing of delectable content.

The post TikTok Celebrates Black History Month with First-Ever Visionary Voices List appeared first on The Source.

BuzzFeed says it will use AI tools provided by ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, to “enhance” and “personalize” its content, according to a memo sent by CEO Jonah Perett to his staff. Buzzfeed is a news and entertainment website that covers many topics, including politics, business, food, music, sports, and the latest technology. ChatGPT is an extensive language model chatbot developed by OpenAI that has a remarkable ability to interact in conversational dialogue form and provide responses that can appear surprisingly human. OpenAI gained attention from industry leaders and investors and has been used to write high school and even create legal documents.

 CEO Jonah Peretti said AI would play a relatively significant role in the company’s operations. “To be clear, we see the breakthroughs in AI opening up a new era of creativity that will allow humans to harness creativity in new ways with endless opportunities and applications for good,” he said.   Peretti elaborated that the technology will be used to create quizzes and assist in personalizing content specific to its audience. Experts foresee the technology enhancing the quality of many jobs while taking over administrative tasks and replacing some workers.  

BuzzFeed will not be the first journalism platform to use artificial intelligence. CNET, an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, and podcasts, has been using an AI tool to generate reports that human editors later scan for accuracy before publication.

Last month, the company said it would cut about 12% of its workforce to rein in costs. The hope is that implementing this AI technology will assist in growing and energizing the business. Buzzfeed recently reported a net loss of $27 million in revenue.

The post Creators Watch Out: Buzzfeed To Use AI To Create Content appeared first on The Source.

On Thursday, Instagram announced its latest feature, “quiet mode,” geared to help users focus and set boundaries with their followers.

The feature will send automatic replies to followers who try to message you letting them know you were not notified of their message. Additionally, the profile’s activity status will change to alert followers that quiet mode has been turned on. This update is one of several changes on Instagram today, including expanded parental control tools and other tools to manage recommendations. Its parental controls allow parents to filter out posts with specific words in their captions and hashtags. Instagram had already allowed users to filter out DMs with a self-made list of potentially harmful or offensive content. Still, the expanded filtering option will enable users to tailor their feeds more granularly than before.

While anyone can access this feature, the company said it would prompt teen users to enable it if they use the app late at night. Social media addiction is a behavioral disorder in which young adults become so addicted to social media and cannot reduce or cease their online media consumption despite clear negative consequences and severe drawbacks. According to CNN, US teens spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, and tweens spend nearly five hours, a new report finds, and that doesn’t include time spent using screens for school and homework.

Instagram is one of the world’s top social platforms, with at least 1.440 billion users worldwide as of July 2022. Quiet mode will initially be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The post Put Your Followers on Pause: Instagram Set to Debut New ‘Quiet Mode’ Feature appeared first on The Source.

In the last few years, the intersection of AI and music has been explored more deeply than ever before. From AI-created music to AI-based songwriting tools, musicians globally are finding ways to use AI to create unique and innovative music. One artist leading this exploration is celebrated singer and songwriter Wally Sajimi, popularly known by his stage name, WallyPDF.

wallyPDF has written and released several tracks, including “All I Need”, “Call Me”, “Myself” (with Channel Tres), and “Gm Baby”. He earned and cemented his spot as a lo-fi artist with his work attracting massive attention. wallyPDF has over 2M streams on Spotify. His song “Call Me” is almost at 1M views, despite being a few months old. wallyPDF is now back again with a new single. He recently released his latest project, “Beach Dreams”, which also explores the relationship between AI and music.

Beach Dreams fuses AI with musical production to create lush lo-fi beats and mesmerizing soundscape that transcends into a dreamy sonic realm. The song attracted massive attention on Spotify and other streaming platforms, with many people praising the unique style and sound.

wallyPDF is highly creative. He combines his creativity with pure catharsis to perfectly bring the idea to life. wallyPDF believes music is one of the best communication tools, and combining it with AI can create a greater experience for both the listener and the artist.   

“Technology, especially AI, has been helping the music industry grow. It has changed the way we create, consume, and experience music. For instance, we now have AI-based applications being developed to generate music by analyzing existing pieces and creating new ones or even creating compositions from scratch based on user preferences. AI-based applications are also being used to develop new instruments and virtual reality music experiences. All this is opening the doors to a new era of Lo-Fi, which is reshaping the industry. In my opinion, Lo-Fi is a genre that has one of the highest replay values in the music industry with mystic anonymous artists who have no egos and care about the art and creation of music,” wallyPDF says.

As he continues his exploration into the connection between music and technology, wallyPDF is calling on other artists. He believes that AI-generated music can open up new creative pathways for artists and help them reach their listeners and perfectly deliver their messages.

“Beach Dreams” is available on all streaming platforms, including YouTube and Spotify. wallyPDF says he is also working on another project, which he will release in the year. 

There is no doubt that AI has changed the music industry. It has revolutionized how music is produced and consumed, leading to more opportunities for the artist and better music experiences. But these changes are far from over. Many artists, including wallyPDF, who is one of the pioneers, continue to show us through their work that there is much more, and AI holds the key to the future of music.

The post wallyPDF Explores the Intersection of AI and Music in His New Project, “Beach Dreams” appeared first on The Source.

Microsoft will begin 2023 with massive layoffs. According to CBS News, the tech giant will shed talent due to the impact of the economy.

The news, originally reported by Sky News, states the software company will announce the layoffs in the forthcoming days, and nearly 5% or 11,000 positions will be cut worldwide. Engineering divisions appear to be the target for talent removal.

Microsoft declined to comment, citing the news is a “rumor.” Microsoft currently employs over 200,000 people across the globe.

Microsoft said earlier this month that it would provide all U.S.-based employees unlimited time off under a new “Discretionary Time off” policy.

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In today’s world, where visual content is at the forefront of communication, graphic design, and video editing have become crucial skills. A great design can help a business stand out, while a well-edited video can help convey a message more engagingly. LuckyDesigns is a graphic designer and video editor who understands the importance of creativity and authenticity in these fields. This talented professional made a name for himself by bringing creativity and authenticity to his work.

One of the biggest challenges that LuckyDesigns faced is trying to be creative in its work. He realized that taking inspiration from others is okay, but when you do it too much, it’s like you are not creative at your work. He understood that he needed to find his own voice, style, and way of doing things. By doing this, he broke free from the mold and create something truly unique.

LuckyDesigns learned that the key to being creative is to try your best to be you and never give up on your dreams or goals. It’s important to be true to yourself and let your personality shine through in your work. This sets him apart from other graphic designers and video editors.

When it comes to graphic design, LuckyDesigns focuses on creating designs that are simple, elegant, and timeless. He understands that good design should be functional and visually appealing without being overly complicated. He also knows that good design is not just about aesthetics but about solving problems and effectively communicating messages. This is why he takes the time to understand his client’s needs and create designs that meet those needs.

In video editing, LuckyDesigns believes that storytelling is the key to creating engaging videos. He knows that a good video is not just about the visuals but the message and the story behind it. So he uses his creativity and technical skills to create videos that tell compelling stories and leave a lasting impression on the audience.

One of the things that LuckyDesigns does to stay creative and authentic is to take breaks from work and engage in activities that inspire him. These activities help him stay inspired and develop new and fresh ideas for his work.

LuckyDesigns also believes in collaborating with other creatives. He knows that working with others can bring new perspectives and ideas. He has collaborated with other graphic designers, video editors, photographers, and writers. Each collaboration has been a learning experience that helped him grow as a creative professional.

Being a graphic designer or a video editor requires creativity and authenticity. LuckyDesigns found a way to unleash his creativity and authenticity in his work by staying true to himself, focusing on simplicity and storytelling, engaging in activities that inspire him, and collaborating with other creatives. The lessons we can learn from LuckyDesigns are to never give up on our dreams or goals, stay true to ourselves, and always strive to be creative and authentic in our work.

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Following your creative passion can be challenging in any field, but the music competition can be particularly brutal. Kid Faze is one example of a dedicated rapper who has been producing music since 2013. 

Kid Faze was born and raised in Miami but is currently based in Orlando, Florida. He wanted to establish himself as a musician from a very young age. He produced his first song and sold his first album in middle school.

As a child, Kid Faze was inspired by his uncle, who is also a rapper. He also found inspiration in renowned rappers such as Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Diddy. Their success stories motivated Kid even during his most difficult challenges. 

Social media has been instrumental in Kid’s success and his efforts to bring the music world and the metaverse together, and his goal is to help people understand how Web3 works. 

Web3 is a decentralized digital place where virtual worlds or metaverses are built and creative products like art and music are commodified. For artists like Kid Faze, the metaverse presents a unique and unprecedented opportunity to distribute their work directly to people who want it without a middleman getting in between them to take cuts. There is the prospect of making more money being on a decentralized platform, but for Kid Faze, the motivation stems from beyond getting compensated. His goal is to reach a wider audience on the metaverse and make his music an experience.

Kid Faze has been working on designing a persona called “KiddoBoy”, which is geared toward the youth of the world. “KiddoBoy” will be featured in Kid’s YouTube series. Kid Faze understands that the younger generation will grow up in a decentralized world where the metaverse replaces the internet as we know it today. With his work on KiddoBoy, Kid Faze will open the eyes of a new generation of music enthusiasts.

The series will also promote his latest hit, “I Don’t Care”, which gained a massive audience on various platforms. Kid Faze is also focused on another YouTube series based on fashion with a release date in 2023 and a festival. Will this festival be both in-person and metaverse-based? Precedent suggests it might be the latter, but all will be revealed.

Artists like Kid Faze send an important message to people through their commitment to succeed despite the odds. In this age where the metaverse is still in its infancy, artists that show the drive to learn a new platform and contribute massively on it is an inspiring move. Learning about and educating people on technology while delivering hit songs might sound like a lot on one’s plate, but Kid Faze does it all. Currently, you can listen to his tracks on Apple Music, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Youtube.

Music is Kid’s unique voice, and he plans to continue using music to make a difference in the world well into the future. Hopefully, his work will inspire many other artists to explore the metaverse and bring music to a decentralized world – for the youth and for people of all ages.

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Spotify and leading Livestream shopping platform NTWRK are collaborating to celebrate the streaming service’s “Feelin’ Myself” playlist with an exclusive trading card pack featuring anime caricatures of iconic female rappers Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, GloRilla and Flo Milli. 

The NTWRK x Spotify hype-worthy trading card pack will feature the up-and-coming and established rappers as a modern-day super heroines celebrating women in hip-hop. Fans will have the chance to win the exclusive trading card pack only on the NTWRK app today (Dec. 20) at 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST.  

The back of the cards will include the individual initials of each rapper and a barcode that leads users to the Feelin’ Myself playlist, encouraging collectors to dance along as they unveil their new pack of cards.  

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U.S. lawmakers and politicians have been increasingly waging war on TikTok, the hugely popular social media app owned by Chinese company Bytedance.  

TikTok’s critics have accused the app of being a direct channel to the Chinese government and, thus, a privacy and cybersecurity risk. In particular, they have raised concerns that TikTok collects massive amounts of data from U.S. citizens. It may be shared with the Chinese government and could be used to interfere with U.S. elections by spreading misinformation.

The app is already banned from all devices issued by the U.S. military. This past Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill banning the app from all devices issued by federal agencies. The bill contains exceptions for law enforcement, national security, and security research.

Earlier this past week, the governors of Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Utah ordered their agencies to prohibit the app on all state-issued devices. These states join Texas, Maryland, South Carolina, and Nebraska, which already have similar bans.   These bans also include, for example, blocking the use of the app on campus and dorm WiFi at state universities. 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R. Fla.) is leading a bipartisan effort to pass a law banning TikTok altogether in the U.S. The proposed legislation would ban social media companies belonging to “countries of concern,” i.e., China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. 

In a statement on its website, TikTok states that it stores U.S. user data in the United States and that none of its data is subject to Chinese law. It says further that it has never been asked to remove content by the Chinese government and would not do so if asked.   However, in July 2022, TikTok confirmed in a letter to U.S. Senators that employees outside the U.S., including China-based employees, could access data on U.S. users. 

Implanting a U.S.-wide TikTok ban would present a formidable challenge. Over a billion users visit the TikTok site each month, and substantial commercial interests use TikTok as a platform and rely on its services.   A TikTok ban would likely be politically unpopular. It would raise the question of why foreign social media companies are being singled out when there are domestic social media companies, such as Facebook, that are equally capable of disrupting U.S. elections through the spread of propaganda and misinformation.

The post Remember When They Wanted to Ban TikTok? It’s Already Starting To Happen appeared first on The Source.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is supporting legislation calls to ban TikTok on government devices. Pelosi is backing funding that received unanimous support and is close to being in place next week.

The bill will head to President Biden’s desk for a signature once it is adopted in a Senate version of the government funding bill.

According to The Hill, The Senate unanimously approved Sen. Josh Hawley’s “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” this past Wednesday, prohibiting the downloading or using of the video-sharing app TikTok on “any device issued by the United States or a government corporation” by certain figures in government.

GOP-led states are also pushing for a federal ban on the Chinese-owned social media app.

In response, TikTok’s Brooke Oberwetter states, “politicians with national security concerns should encourage the Administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok.”

“The agreement under review will meaningfully address any security concerns that have been raised at both the federal and state level. These plans have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies—plans that we are well underway in implementing—to further secure our platform in the United States, and we will continue to brief lawmakers on them.”

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The exciting new feature Apple Music Sing, which enables users to sing along to their favorite songs with customizable vocals and real-time lyrics, was unveiled by Apple today. Apple Music Sing provides multiple lyric views to let users take the lead, sing duets, sing backing, and more within Apple Music’s unmatched lyrics experience. Apple Music Sing makes it enjoyable and straightforward for everyone to take part, when and wherever they choose, with a constantly expanding collection that includes tens of millions of the most singable music in the world.

The new Apple TV 4K, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Music Sing will all be available to Apple Music users later this month.

“Apple Music’s lyrics experience is consistently one of the most popular features on our service,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “We already know our users all over the world love to follow along to their favorite songs, so we wanted to evolve this offering even further to enable even more engagement around music through singing. It’s really a lot of fun, our customers are going to love it.”

Included in Apple Sing are:

• Adjustable vocals: Users now have control over a song’s vocal levels. They can sing with the original artist’s vocals, take the lead, or mix it up on millions of songs in the Apple Music catalog.
• Real-time lyrics: Users can sing along to their favorite songs with animated lyrics that dance to the rhythm of the vocals.
• Background vocals: Vocal lines sung simultaneously can animate independently from the main vocals to make it easier for users to follow.
• Duet view: Multiple vocalists show on opposite sides of the screen to make duets or multi-singer tracks easy to sing along to.

A collection of over 50 specially curated companion playlists for Apple Music Sing will also be released, encompassing all iconic songs, duets, choruses, and anthems that have inspired people to sing worldwide.

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Many people may not be able to attend a concert to see their favorite artist. Among the possible reasons for this may be a lack of funds, poor transportation, fear of contracting Covid-19, introversion, and so on. Nevertheless, a new innovative way to achieve that dream has recently been developed. 

Introducing Mozverse, the company aims to change how the world connects through live entertainment. With its headquarters in California, Mozverse is a technology company dedicated to providing the next generation of music, entertainment, and audience experience through its proprietary metaverse. The company’s core competency is developing virtual worlds, smart contracts, and digital asset marketplaces. In addition, the business has created five products to enable that transition.

According to Mozverse’s latest news, which they are excited to share with the community, the company has taken on a new initiative to radically modify how its audience engages with live entertainment worldwide in a manner never seen before. With its technology, everyone has a front-row seat. The company will allow users to attend any concert from the comfort of their homes, thus giving them the pleasure of seeing and hearing the concert and the impression that they were part of the audience on the night. 

Artists and performers can communicate with their fans more conveniently thanks to this interactive experience. For musicians, traveling around the world to interact with their fans can be physically and mentally exhausting. However, this new invention will save them both time and money. Furthermore, Mozverse’s new plan allows you to enjoy performances from anywhere worldwide since geographic borders do not apply. Globally, there is an expectation that the revenue generated by music will reach $131 billion by 2030, making this a tremendous development in the Web3 industry, according to Goldman Sachs.

Thus, Mozverse has been working to ensure that these performances are powered by its CEO/Founder, Danny Mozlin, and Co-Founder/Chief Evangelist Zach Hirsch. Aside from these efforts, the team is also collaborating with legendary producer, Scott Storch, to help artists of all sizes achieve global recognition and promote their work on a global scale.

Regardless of the number of opportunities presented, there is always one that elicits a different reaction. As Scott Storch expressed his excitement about his partnership with Mozverse, he said, “I’ve been approached by so many Web3 and Metaverse projects, but I chose Mozverse because I only want to work with the best.”

Mozverse has already achieved one of the highest honors in the business world, having been named a winner of the Inc. 2022 Best in Business Award in the blockchain industry in less than two years. Best in Business Awards recognize businesses that have excelled in their fields and made a significant cultural and social impact. 

Furthermore, Inc.’s list, found in the Winter issue of the Inc. magazine, is one of the most prestigious examples of a company’s impact on its community, industry, the environment, or society at large. It also recognizes companies of all sizes and sectors that have permeated every aspect of life, be it on one hand or the other. The Mozverse project is an excellent example of how technology products were developed by a collaboration of engineers from Mozverse in the U.S. and Ukraine despite the ongoing war between the two countries.

 “I’m really honored we were one of the winners of Inc Magazine Best in Business Awards,” says Hirsch.  “I didn’t expect us to win when I filled out the application and I’m so happy for all of the development team here, and our team in Ukraine, to get the recognition they deserve.  It’s a very competitive space and to beat out so many great projects is validation for all the hard work last year and motivation to take it to another level in 2023.”

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An enduring Thanksgiving anthem was unveiled by Fetty Wap on TikTok. A cover of “Yamz” by Masego & Devin Morrison titled “Sweet Yamz” was unveiled by the Paterson, New Jersey, star.

The song’s exquisite harmonies, which have been used in over 31k projects to date, provided the background music for a variety of Thanksgiving-themed good times over the previous week, including the first-ever home-cooked Thanksgiving, a washing machine feast, and wonderfully reheated leftovers.

Auto-tune tinkerers and the great singer Charlie Wilson, who astounded everyone with his tremendous performance, both produced cover versions of “Sweet Yamz” that were influenced by the song. The TikTok community was made aware of Devin Morrison’s original version by him duetting one of his favorite “Sweet Yamz” videos as a way to celebrate.

You can catch the trending videos below.

The post Fetty Wap’s “Yamz” Cover Inspires 31K+ Creations on TikTok Through Thanksgiving Weekend appeared first on The Source.

An enduring Thanksgiving anthem was unveiled by Fetty Wap on TikTok. A cover of “Yamz” by Masego & Devin Morrison titled “Sweet Yamz” was unveiled by the Paterson, New Jersey, star.

The song’s exquisite harmonies, which have been used in over 31k projects to date, provided the background music for a variety of Thanksgiving-themed good times over the previous week, including the first-ever home-cooked Thanksgiving, a washing machine feast, and wonderfully reheated leftovers.

Auto-tune tinkerers and the great singer Charlie Wilson, who astounded everyone with his tremendous performance, both produced cover versions of “Sweet Yamz” that were influenced by the song. The TikTok community was made aware of Devin Morrison’s original version by him duetting one of his favorite “Sweet Yamz” videos as a way to celebrate.

You can catch the trending videos below.

The post Fetty Wap’s “Yamz” Cover Inspires 31K+ Creations on TikTok Through Thanksgiving Weekend appeared first on The Source.

Akon’s Konvict Kulture will drop TT FREAK in association with social media juggernaut TikTok. Amirror, an Atlanta-born rapper, and Nektunez, an African superstar, are among the musicians featured on the new album, which will be released on Dec. 2.

A release like TT Freak has never been seen before. Like much of Akon’s creative output, TT Freak feels utterly avant-garde. Whether through the special relationship between TikTok and Akon’s Konvict Kulture company, his work with artists like Nektunez and Amirror, or the themes covered in this record with a sound that is both approachable and forward-thinking. As he has done countless times, Akon continues to advance the music business with his originality, musicality, and entrepreneurship.

The singer and producer Nektunez, who has collected a staggering 10 billion views on TikTok and is considered one of the most prominent performers to come out of Africa, is featured on the EP. As you’ll hear, this multi-instrumentalist and producer is perhaps one of his generation’s most talented producers and much more than a one-hit-wonder.

READ MORE: Akon Talks His New Single “Enjoy That” and the Rise of New Africa

Amirror, the first female rapper for Konvict Kulture, also has songs on the TT FREAK EP. Amirror, a rapper and performer with extraordinary potential, only recently joined Konvict Kulture. Long before the debut of her first EP the following year, this new artist’s talent is still developing. This release has a firecracker feel because of Amirror’s high-octane vigor.

The title track’s official music video debuts along with the EP and single. Hoo.be executive produced the video, and it was shot by Jake The Shooter in Los Angeles.

TT Freak unquestionably evokes the start of a revolution. The title track includes John MaMann and Dawty. On Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, the song will be available across all streaming services.

You can pre-save the album here.

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With over one billion monthly users, TikTok is one of the best social media platforms around when it comes to promoting your latest hit song.

Musicians like Lil Nas X, Sam Ryder, and Baby Ariel all hit the big time using TikTok to showcase their music, and the great news is that you can too!

Why is TikTok so great for artists? With TikTok, users can add audio clips to their videos with just a tap of their phone. This makes it easy to amplify the reach of your song and get new audiences listening in.

Adam Gonzalez’s music industry experience comes from his early days of doing digital marketing for his pop/hip hop band “Thursday Night Out” while attending Eisenhower High School. He was able to build a big online fan base which led to his band getting over 100,000 + streams a day and their songs charting top 5 songs in the myspace music charts. With his band’s online success they were able to open shows for music artists like Drake, Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, Miguel, Tyga, YG, and various other major artists at the age of 17 years old. After his band broke up his passion for music continued along with his new love for digital marketing which lead him to work with some of your favorite music artists today. 

Adam Gonzalez has worked with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Capitol Records, Atlantic Records, Hitco Entertaiment, RCA Records, Astralwerks, APG, Empire, Republic Records and more. His digital marketing and social media strategies have built fan bases for internationally acclaimed artists including Pitbull, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Ava Max, Zayn, Bazzi, Magic!, Smokepurpp, Arizona, and many others. Now, Adam Gonzalez is one of the most sought-after marketing experts in the music industry. In 2022, Eisenhower High School recognized Adam as a notable alumni due to his success in music, business, journalism, and marketing and pr.

We asked Adam to give us his top three tips for using TikTok to make your song the next viral sensation:

1. Make your music TikTok Friendly

While you can upload videos up to ten minutes long on TikTok, the reality is that users won’t stick around to listen to your song for that amount of time.

TikTok is centered around short-form videos, and the optimal duration for music content is 15 seconds. That’s not a lot of time to showcase your music, but there are things you can do to increase the odds of people viewing your content.

Find the 15 seconds of your song that is the most catchy. As an example, when ‘Old Town Road’ made it big on TikTok, the clip focused on the drop about 25 seconds in – perfect for that all-important reveal! You ultimately want TikTok users to create their own videos around your sounds.

If you’re looking to create a challenge (more on that later), you’ll want your TikTok clip to connect with the challenge’s theme. Be honest; would the music inspire you to take part?

Need a little inspiration? Check out songs from artists similar to you. What part of their song have they focused on to capitalize on likes, reposts, and comments?

2. Create a challenge people want to get involved in

TikTok is a place where challenges, contests, and dances thrive. If you’re looking for a way to advertise your music, it pays to create an innovative challenge to accompany it.

For example, the ‘Savage’ dance challenge helped launch Megan Thee Stallion to international stardom in 2020, with the #SavageChallenge hashtag being viewed over two billion times on TikTok.

Before you get ready to launch your challenge, it’s essential to do your research. You need to:

• Invent and film a memorable challenge. Whether it’s dance, lip-syncing, comedy, or cosplay-related, make it relevant to your song. Most importantly, make sure your challenge is easy and fun to do!
• Choose the right time to launch your challenge. Due to how quickly content moves on TikTok, most challenges don’t last longer than a week
• Decide whether you want to run the challenge as a contest. Some musicians and bands offer prizes to encourage people to take part, but this is entirely optional
• Come up with a well-thought-out hashtag – it needs to be unique, short, and easy to spell
• Encourage influencers to get involved with your challenge (read on to find out how to do this)

Don’t forget to check your analytics through the course of the challenge if you have a Pro account. This will show you how many times your video has been viewed and how many followers you got off the back of the challenge. 

3. Find influencers that will use your song

TikTok is a hotbed for influencers, with TikTok paying high-profile creators to use the platform and create show-stopping videos. TikTok influencers currently have significantly higher engagement rates than Instagram and YouTube. 

You can use this to your advantage when promoting your latest song.

By reaching out to influencers on TikTok and asking them to use your music in their next video, you can introduce your hit track to brand new audiences.

When people think of influencers, they typically think of celebrities with millions of supporters, but the truth is even influencers with a couple of thousands of followers can help promote your music. As long as they have a loyal fanbase and good engagement rates, these influencers (often known as ‘micro-influencers’) can help boost your songs.

The best way to find the right influencers is to make a list of similar-sounding artists that have gone viral on TikTok in the past. Check out the song’s sound video history and look at the first twenty or thirty micro-influencers that have used the tune in their videos. 

It’s then a case of sending them a DM and asking if they’d be willing to use your song in their next TikTok – you might need to follow them to do this.

Do you have to pay for influencers to use your song? It depends. 

Some influencers will be happy to do this for free if you give them a shoutout or repost their video; others may ask for payment. As a rule of thumb, the more popular the influencer, the more likely they will ask for remuneration. It’s always a good idea to put together a small budget for your song that will cover any requests for money.

In summary: Are you ready to promote your latest song on TikTok?

Marketing your music on TikTok may sound like a challenge. However, three out of four TikTokers say they have discovered brand new artists through the platform, making it a great way to promote your music.

Summary:

1. Choose the most TikTok-friendly part of your song
2. Develop a fun challenge that Tiktokers want to take part in
3. Ask influencers to get involved

With a bit of research and creativity, you can use TikTok to get lots of free or low-cost exposure for your latest song. Good luck!

The post 3 Top Tips For Promoting Your Music On TikTok From Music Marketing And PR Expert Adam Gonzalez appeared first on The Source.

On Dec. 16, The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience, produced by Meta in collaboration with The Notorious B.I.G. estate, will honor the life and legacy of the late music legend Biggie during the year that would have been his 50th birthday.

In a virtual replica of 1990s Brooklyn, the immersive VR event will feature performances by a hyper-realistic Biggie avatar accompanied by the avatar of longtime friend and partner Sean “Diddy” Combs (The Brook).

The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick, Lil’ Cease, and DJ Clark Kent will all make special appearances in the narrative concert adventure, which was written and spoken by novelist and music journalist Touré. It will feature beloved Biggie songs from his discography as well as previously unheard material.

Ms. Voletta Wallace, Christopher Wallace’s mother, stated, “Having the ability to create a variance of new opportunity to showcase my son Christopher’s music through the advancement of technology is hard for me to grasp at times, however, I’ve found so much excitement in the process of developing his avatar, understanding the value added for fans to experience him in ways unattainable till now. Thank you to all who have contributed to bringing this project to fruition.”

“Biggie’s music has been streamed over 11 billion times worldwide and 6.5 billion in the US alone, but because of his untimely death there just wasn’t enough content to support the overwhelming demand for his music. This is why I originated the idea and came up with the decision to create a digital avatar,” says Elliot Osagie, founder of Willingie, who spearheaded the technology innovation development with VFX director Remington Scott, CEO of Hyperreal. 

Biggie’s Manager, Mark Pitts, President of RCA Records, stated, “It’s amazing to create new content for BIG. The world was robbed of an opportunity to watch Biggie grow and evolve as an artist. The wonder of Web3 is that it gives us an opportunity to celebrate his music with visuals that Biggie never got to make.”

“Biggie’s untimely death, similar to that of Kurt Cobain and Tupac, was a seminal moment in my prior gig at MTV,” said Van Toffler, CEO, Gunpowder & Sky. “So, having the opportunity to be part of his rebirth in the virtual world – coupling the latest avatar & motion capture technologies with the best music & storytelling – is a dream come to life. Biggie’s impact on music & culture will never have an expiration date.”

You can watch the trailer for the show below.

The post Meta to Host The Notorious B.I.G. VR Concert on Dec. 16 appeared first on The Source.

October’s Very Own (OVO) and CASETiFY have teamed together to debut their first collaboration.

OVO is a Canadian lifestyle company founded in 2008 by Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Oliver El-Khatib, and Noah “40” Shebib. The company produces high-end apparel, outerwear, accessories, and home items that are influenced by its native land.

OVO and CASETiFY team up for the first time to create a signature tech accessory capsule collection that features the iconic OVO owl design. The set includes designs for the iPhone, AirPods, and AirPods Pro.

You can shop the collection here and see the pieces below.

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The post Drake’s OVO and CASETiFY Team for New Collaboration appeared first on The Source.

Twitter’s massive layoffs also impacted their new African office just three days after it opened.

After Elon Musk took over Twitter following his $44 billion acquisition, layoffs began, cutting thousands of jobs, with employees finding out by email or being locked out. According to CNN, that also impacted the staff in Accra, Ghana, which just began their operations three days before they were laid off.

The staff at the newly-minted Africa office were laid off without information or the next steps for their career. The physical office opened on Nov. 1, a year after remote work. On Nov. 4, email accounts and work laptops did not operate.

“The company is reorganizing its operations as a result of a need to reduce costs,” Twitter’s director of people services wrote in an email to Africa staff. “It is with regret that we’re writing to inform you that your employment is terminating as a result of this exercise.”

The Ghana staff is said to have one remaining employee. The staff was told they would be on “garden leave” until Dec. 4 and should not communicate with other staff members. They were also instructed to remain available in case they were needed.

Some staff members spoke of their experience with the app.

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A federal judge has dismissed a Pennsylvania mother’s lawsuit against TikTok, in which she claimed the social media giant was responsible for her daughter’s death after she attempted the so-called “Blackout Challenge.”

The Blackout Challenge is a series of videos distributed through TikTok in which the viewers are encouraged to choke themselves until they pass out.  TikTok is currently facing multiple lawsuits from parents whose children died of strangulation after viewing these videos on the service.  These lawsuits allege that at least seven children died last year attempting the “challenge,” all of whom were under 15 years old.  

The judge’s dismissal of the case centered on the controversial Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives online platforms immunity against legal claims for content that is published on their services by third parties, such as user-generated videos.  The parent in this case claimed there was a design defect in the algorithm that TikTok uses to present content to its users, and that TikTok had failed to warn viewers that the Blackout Challenge was dangerous and life-threatening.  However, the judge held that she could not get around Section 230 immunity by simply repackaging her claims as product liability claims, and remarked that it was Congress’s job, not his job, to recognize any exceptions to Section 230 immunity.

Following the filing of this lawsuit in 2021, TikTok blocked users from searching for “Blackout Challenge,” instead taking them to a screen with a warning that “[s]ome online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing or even fabricated.”  However, the Blackout Challenge videos still remain on the service and can appear in a user’s feed based on TikTok’s algorithm.

The result in this lawsuit does not bode well for the other similar lawsuits that are still pending, which will very likely meet a similar fate.  Until Section 230 is revisited by Congress, it is unlikely that social media platforms will be required to exercise limitations on content such as the Blackout Challenge that can be directly harmful to children.

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“Don’t be afraid to do something others would think is the most stupid decision of your life.” Charming and sharp-witted business consultant and Kottio Consulting partner Michael Reis made a fortune because of his inability to do one thing — back down from a challenge. 

Even if he knows shit all about an industry, when Reis sets his sights on something, he’ll do whatever he thinks it’ll take. The thing is, it’s not always what other people are expecting.

This is the story of how Michael Reis got into (and out of) pharmaceuticals.

At the time, Reis was on the lookout for new clients. He noticed that a company was selling rare medications for an affordable price, a God-send to many sick people in the area. He wanted to get involved. The issue? He knew next to nothing about the industry. 

That didn’t matter. “I approached the company’s owner,” explains Reis, “and essentially said, ‘I don’t know shit about pharmaceuticals. I don’t know anything about the space. But I guarantee that you’ve never met somebody as hungry as me. I love your business because you’re not taking advantage of patients. I want to be involved!’”

The owner was impressed by Reis’s attitude and gave him an entry-level position. That’s all Reis needed since this wasn’t a job he needed. It was one he wanted. He was already making over $100,000 per month from Kottio Productions. 

“I would’ve done it for free. I did everything I could to make sure that that business was operating as good as it possibly could,” says Michael Reis. “I kept telling my supervisor that he was doing things wrong, ‘like you need to leave, let me handle this. I’ve got this. Go the fuck home.’”

Reis got written up for insubordination time and time again, but he was putting in 12-hour days while clocking out after only eight. “If a kid like was going to miss a shipment, I was calling screaming at FedEx,” he explains. “But that supervisor kept trying to fire me, and our boss just kept laughing. Eventually, my supervisor was the one who was fired.”

Then one fateful day, Reis’s boss called him into his office for a chat. He thought he was about to be fired, but instead, his boss told him that he was planning to sell the company. However, he was going to keep part of it and he wanted Reis to run it. “But I convinced him to keep the whole thing, and it paid off. I was like, ‘Let’s just fucking try to do the business. Let’s just try to make something great.’”Reis dove in. But, as time went on, it became clear he wasn’t the right guy for the job. Reis’s screaming approach didn’t seem to work as well as another guy there who’d show up daily with a pressed shirt, skinny jeans, and the perfect haircut. “The guy was on top of it. He was a really good general manager. The way the other guy was handling things — calmly, coolly, calculated — was like a square, but that was getting our patients the best outcomes.”
So, he did what not everyone would do. Reis told the guy he was a better fit for the job. He gave him his title, his role, and a majority of his equity. “I could have blown it up in the pharmaceutical space, or I would have died trying,” explains Reis. “I gave up something that I was passionate about because I realized that I wasn’t the best person for it. At the end of the day, it’s all about the outcomes.”

The post Tech Consultant Michael Reis Reveals Why Stupid Decisions Are Sometimes Best Decisions appeared first on The Source.

A little over fifteen years ago, Steve Jobs stood on stage and revealed the first iPhone in a reveal that would change the world as we know it (for nostalgia, the full video can be found here). On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook continued the tradition of launch announcements to share some new features and updates to the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

The launch event was pre-recorded and delivered from Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Cook started sharing a montage of users who had used their Apple Watches in life-threatening situations and then shared some new features of the upcoming Apple Watch 7. The watch’s biggest change (in addition to a slightly new design and bigger screen) is that it is reportedly more durable and able to withstand more extreme conditions than previous models. The watch targets outdoor athletes with increased water resistance, increased durability, a compass, and a depth metric for scuba divers. The 7 series t also has a new “action” button for quick use while working out or wearing gloves. The 7 series has more health tracking capabilities and car crash detection technology, which can detect if the wearer was in a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services. The watch will also reportedly get up to 60 hours of battery life thanks to a new software rollout.

Cook unveiled the iPhone 14, which comes in two models: the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The Plus will replace the “iPhone 13 mini” model with a bigger model with a 6.7-inch screen. One of the biggest changes is that digital eSIM technology will replace a physical SIM card. However, the 14’s biggest reveal was the phone’s capability to connect to satellites for emergency services in remote areas thanks to a partnership with Globalstar. 

The third product reveal was a new generation of AirPods. An Apple H2 chip reportedly provides better sound quality and clarity. Other new features include an improved volume touch control button, longer battery life, a smaller XS ear tip, and an in-case speaker.

The new Apple Watch will cost at least $799 and will be available in stores on about Sept. 23. Preorders will be available next Wednesday. The iPhone 14 will start at $799 and the Plus will start at $899. Preorders start on Sept 9, but the Plus won’t ship until October. The new AirPods Pro cost $249 and will go on sale on Sept 23.

The full launch video can be seen here.

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Millions of people have been turning up to Janet Jackson‘s ‘Rhythm Nation’ for over three decades, but some laptop computers apparently are not fans of the chart-topper. Last week, Microsoft revealed a bizarre vulnerability in which playing the 1989 hit can cause certain laptops to crash.

The bizarre story apparently began back when multiple users contacted Windows XP product support to report issues with their devices, mostly the widely used 5400-RPM laptop hard drive that was sold around 2005. It’s common to set up a laboratory experiment on a device or software application whenever there are multiple reports of an issue, such as the reported issue with ‘Rhythm Nation’ and the laptops. The laboratory experiment found that the song didn’t just necessarily crash the laptop that it was being played on, but also nearby laptops that were using the same hard drive model.

Raymond Chen at Microsoft explained it in a blog as such: “the song contained one of the natural resonant frequencies for the model of 5400 rpm laptop hard drives that they and other manufacturers used.”

Since then, the manufacturer has added a custom filter in the audio pipeline that detected and removed the offending frequencies during audio playback. Additionally, this hard drive was a spinning disk hard drive and most spinning hard drives have been gradually phased out in favor of solid-state drives over the years, but as Chen notes, they still persist in a host of devices around the world. 

Ironically, the news comes within a few days of Apple’s announcement of a serious security vulnerability (along with a software update) for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.

Perhaps listening to music on cassette or record players is truly the only safe bet anymore.

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