Reservoir Media shares slipped 4.9% on Thursday (July 29), the publishing music rights company’s first day of trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange, opening at $9.49 and closing at $9.03.

Reservoir’s public listing follows a merger with Roth CH Acquisition II Co, a special purpose acquisition company that raised $115 million in an initial public offering and a private placement in December 2020. The companies’ combination was approved by the SPAC’s shareholders on Tuesday and values RSVR at $788 million.

Roth CH Acquisition II shares had a $10 IPO price and briefly exceeded $11 in February. Since then, investors have showed less enthusiasm and with few exceptions have traded below $10 since mid-May.

Reservoir, which had revenue estimated at $64 million for its fiscal year ended March 31, is now the fourth publicly traded company that focuses on music rights acquisitions — Hipgnosis Songs Royalty Fund, Round Hill Music Royalty Fund and One Media iP Group are listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is the first to trade in the U.S. and the first led by a female, CEO and founder Golnar Khosrowshahi.

“This entry into the public markets is a testament to the growth and bright future that lies ahead within the industry,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement Thursday. “As we focus on our growth, our listing on Nasdaq provides us the resources to execute on our penetration into emerging markets and continue rapidly with our strategic acquisitions.”

Reservoir’s songwriting catalog, which receives 62% of net publisher share from songs released since 2000, includes shares of DaBaby’s “Rockstar,” Childish Gambino’s “This is America” and Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling.” Among its older classics are Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” and Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach.” Reservoir also owns over 26,000 sound recording copyrights from such artists as The Isley Brothers, Sinead O’Connor and Naked Eyes.

DaBaby is once again addressing his homophobic comments made onstage at Rolling Loud Miami, this time with a new music video.

The “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give” video, released Wednesday afternoon (July 28), ends with a rainbow-colored message that says “Don’t Fight Hate With Hate,” as well as “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”

The message appears to be in reference to his controversial onstage comments at Rolling Loud’s closing night Sunday, when DaBaby told the crowd, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up! Ladies, if your p—y smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up! Fellas, if you ain’t sucking di– in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up!”

In the new video, DaBaby holds up a sign that says “AIDS” as he raps the lyric “Bi—, we like AIDS, I’m on your a–, we on your a–, bi—, we won’t go away.”

In an Instagram caption posted Wednesday about the music video — which DaBaby directed and co-produced — the rapper says he shot the clip right before his Rolling Loud set and decided to release it since it “touches on EVERY controversial topic trending in the headlines.”

“You ever wrote a video, you and 3 others produce it, you direct it while starring AND rapping in it, film the video for 16 HOURS straight wrap up at 4am, take a shower & jump on a jet to @rollingloud and with only 2 hours of rest give one of the BEST performances of the entire festival yet the most controversial and emotion provoking performance as well; due to things deemed ‘insensitive’ said during your performance even though you’re an ENTERTAINER, try to apologize and explain that you meant no harm & that you were only entertaining as you are paid to do, & have no problem with anyone’s sexual preference that is outside of yours, only to have a substantial amount of people refuse to understand your logic, tag along with a trending topic & play with your character and do everything they can to take money out of your pockets and food out your kids mouth, and have everybody around you panicking only for you to apologize anyway stand on the fact that you were entertaining and truly didn’t mean to offend anybody or start no commotion, although they’re currently offending you, & COINCIDENTALLY the video you were shooting till 4am the DAY OF @rollingloud touches on EVERY controversial topic trending in the headlines, so you then go against the grain in the opposite direction of every scared person around you & stay true to yourself & DROP DAT BITCH & show the world once again that you CANT BE F—ED WIT? I have. I just did. God’s Work.”

As he wrote in the Instagram message, DaBaby tweeted an apology Tuesday to anyone affected by HIV/AIDS for his “insensitive” words, though he maintained that the rest of his comments were misinterpreted by critics. While T.I. came out in support of DaBaby on Monday, his “Levitating” remix collaborator Dua Lipa condemned his remarks Tuesday, writing on her Instagram Story, “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with.” Elton John also released a statement condemning the rapper’s comments Wednesday and offering important information about HIV and AIDS, while GLAAD responded, “The rhetoric that DaBaby used is inaccurate, hurtful, and harmful to the LGBTQ community and the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV.”

Watch the “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give” video and see DaBaby’s Instagram post below.

Esmé Bianco’s harrowing accusations of sexual assault and abuse at the hands of Marilyn Manson are “untrue, meritless,” and part of a “coordinated attack by multiple plaintiffs,” the goth-rocker claims in a new court filing.

Earlier this year, Bianco, a star from the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, stepped forward to join others who’ve accused the musician of years-long abusive behavior. In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Bianco claimed that Manson violated human trafficking law by bringing her to California from England under the false pretenses of roles in music videos and movies that never materialized.

According to Bianco’s suit, Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, deprived her of food and sleep, plied her with alcohol and drugs, locked her in a bedroom, whipped her, gave her electric shocks, and made threats to rape her during the night.

Manson denies all of it and says the accusations are part of a conspiracy. In a new motion, seen by Billboard, the veteran artist claims the accusers are “cynically and dishonestly seeking to monetize and exploit the #MeToo movement,” and that the Bianco and others “spent months plotting, workshopping, and fine-tuning” their statements into “twisted tales” that bear no resemblance to reality.

The paperwork, filed Wednesday (July 28) to the United States District Court for the Central District of California (Western Division), brands Bianco and others as “co-conspirators” who are “desperately trying to conflate the imagery and artistry of Warner’s ‘shock rock’ stage persona, ‘Marilyn Manson,’ with fabricated accounts of abuse.” His attorney has separately said Bianco’s claims are “provably false.”

Earlier this month, Manson turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department July 2 on an outstanding arrest warrant on assault charges relating to an alleged 2019 incident in New Hampshire. He has since been released on personal recognizance bail.

The singer is facing lawsuits from four women who claim that he sexually, physically and emotionally assaulted them; Warner has repeatedly denied the allegations.

In a Feb. 1 Instagram post, he wrote, “My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how – and why – others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.” He called the allegations “horrible distortions of reality.”

This is branded content created in partnership with Sound Mind.

Community is what drives Troy Donald Jamerson, better known as Pharaoahe Monch. The Queens-born MC known for his decades-long career built on complex, interlocking lyrics and rhymes credits his intimate knowledge of Black America’s struggle for stability as a formative force in his life. Troy’s mother and father both worked punishing early shifts, and Troy saw how that hard work provided stable ground in the face of adversity.

But that safe harbor could only insulate Troy so long, and with so much external struggle around him it was difficult to think that internal strife was important. “When you want to discuss emotional instability it’s difficult to feel worthy,” he says in the latest installment of the Sound Mind Unmasked video series. “It’s something you don’t talk about.”

Each video in the Sound Mind Unmasked series features an artist sharing their mental health journey, opening up about the toll touring and recording can take. Unmasked is focused on as shining a light on free mental health resources available to everyone, as well as fostering an open dialogue about mental health for artists and audiences alike.

Uncompromising dialogue has always been part of Troy’s artistic impulse, and that candor has helped him come to terms with his own emotional and psychic battles. He points to the power of his music and personal community to help him through the dark times in his life. “Fortunately I have the best family and the best friends and I felt like these guys have supported me,” he says. “What’s fly about the culture of hip hop is that it respects real truth and honesty.” His 2014 album, PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, explored those frank topics with deft lyricism, putting words to the struggle that he and so many others endure.

Still, Troy knows that many in his orbit and community are facing their demons alone and he hopes to change that through partnering with Sound Mind on the Unmasked series. “Too often we feel societal pressures to function in our everyday lives with the weight of overwhelming circumstances,” he says. “My hope is that by sharing my story we can accentuate the strides we’ve made by pinpointing the root cause of some mental health issues. If we continue to evolve in our communication and encourage people to better articulate their feelings, we can one day eliminate tragic outcomes.”

Legendary merengue singer Johnny Ventura (real name: Juan de Dios Ventura Soriano) died on Wednesday (July 28), Billboard has learned. He was 81 years old.

The famed singer-songwriter, arranger and bandleader died of a sudden heart attack and was pronounced dead at Clínica Unión Medica del Norte in Santiago, according to El Tiempo.

Just three hours before his death was announced, Ventura shared a video of himself dancing with one of his fans and wrote: “I miss the human warmth of my audience. Let’s continue to protect ourselves to return to normality soon.”

Born in La Vega, Dominican Republic, Ventura kicked off his career in the early ‘60s and was coined as “El Caballo Negro.” Some of his biggest titles include tropical hits such as “Patacon Pisao,” “¿Pitaste?” and “Merenguero Hasta la Tambora,” all of which have become staples in Latin households.

Ventura’s timeless music has entered various Billboard charts, including Hot Latin Songs, Top Latin Albums, Tropical Airplay and Tropical Albums. From 1994 to 1998, Ventura also served as vice mayor of Santo Domingo and as mayor from 1998 to 2002.

On social media, artists such as Olga Tañon and Manny Cruz, among others, reacted to his death.

“My admiration for you always,” Tañon wrote on Instagram. “You always treated me with so much affection and respect! I made my dream of recording with you a reality! You are a great defender of merengue music for the whole world!”

John Mayer’s Sob Rock rules Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, as the singer-songwriter’s latest studio set debuts atop the list (dated July 31). The set sold 61,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending July 22, according to MRC Data — the biggest debut sales week for an album in nearly two months, since Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour started with 72,000 copies at No. 1 (June 5-dated chart).

Mayer leads a busy top 10 on Top Album Sales, which is infused with titles released for Record Store Day 2021’s second drop (on July 17).

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Sob Rock is Mayer’s fifth No. 1 on Top Album Sales and 11th top 10 overall. He’s also led the tally with The Search for Everything: Wave One (2017), Born and Raised (2012), Battle Studies (2009) and Heavier Things (2003).  

Of Sob Rock’s debut sales of 61,000, physical album sales comprise 39,000 of that figure (23,000 vinyl LPs, 15,000 CDs and a little over 1,000 cassettes), while digital album sales comprise 22,000. (The album’s cassette was exclusively sold via Mayer’s official webstore.)

Dee Gees, aka Foo Fighters, debut at No. 2 with Hail Satin, selling 15,000 copies. Of that sum, 12,000 came from its vinyl LP release for Record Store Day’s second drop (July 17), while another 3,000 were sold via digital download (released on July 19). The first five tracks on the 10-song album are covers of Bee Gees-penned songs, including four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits: Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing,” “Night Fever” and “Tragedy,” and Andy Gibb’s “Shadow Dancing.” The second five songs on the Hail Satin project are live versions of tracks from Foo Fighters’ most recent studio album, Medicine at Midnight.

Sob Rock and Hail Satin also debut at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart, which ranks the top-selling vinyl LPs of the week.

Clairo’s latest album Sling starts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with nearly 15,000 copies sold, the act’s highest-charting effort and first top 10. Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Layla Revisited (Live at Lockn’), featuring Trey Anastasio, bows at No. 4 with 13,000 sold.

A pair of Record Store Day-exclusive releases are up next on Top Album Sales, as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Deja Vu: Alternates and Beastie BoysAglio e Olio debut at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, with 9,500 and 9,000 sold. Both were issued on vinyl LP, exclusively, for Record Store Day 2021’s second drop.

Deja Vu: Alternates features nine alternative versions of songs from the group’s first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, 1970’s Deja Vu. The tracks on the Alternates album were originally released in May on CD and digital download as part of the 50th-anniversary deluxe reissue of the album, but were not previously available to purchase as a stand-alone album. Deja Vu: Alternates is the highest-charting effort for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (or Crosby, Stills & Nash) on the 30-year-old Top Album Sales tally.

Beastie Boys’ Aglio e Olio was first released in 1995 as a brief eight-song, 12-minute-long album, but never charted on any Billboard chart. For Record Store Day 2021’s second drop, it was reissued on clear vinyl with two previously released bonus tracks, bringing its runtime to 15 minutes. With its No. 6 debut, Aglio e Olio marks Beastie Boys’ sixth top 10 and 15th total chart entry on Top Album Sales.

Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour falls 1-7 in its ninth week on the list, with a little over 8,500 sold (down 16%).

A trio of Record Store Day releases round out the new top 10 on Top Album Sales. Amy Winehouse’s Remixes debuts at No. 8 with 8,000; The Rolling StonesHot Rocks 1964-1971 re-enters at No. 9 with nearly 8,000 (up 1,482%) and Miles DavisChampions: Rare Miles From the Complete Jack Johnson Sessions debuts at No. 10 (7,500).

Winehouse’s Remixes is a two-LP (one blue, one yellow) pressing of 15 remixes of tracks from Winehouse’s Frank and Back to Black albums. The remixes were first released in 2020 as a unit as part of the five-CD boxed set The Collection. Remixes also launches at No. 2 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, her first entry there.

For Record Store Day 2021’s second drop, the Stones’ Hot Rocks 1964-1971 was issued as a double-LP on yellow vinyl with expanded original artwork.

Davis’ Champions is a six-track sampling of tunes originally released in 2003 on the box set The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions. Champions was pressed on yellow vinyl for Record Store Day 2021.

Champions also garners Davis his latest No. 1 on Billboard’s overall Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts.

Miami-Dade police detectives have arrested two men in the killing of Michael Zaldua, the Florida International University student who was fatally shot inside a parking garage near the school in … Click to Continue »
Anti-mask protesters and members of the Broward Teachers Union got into a heated exchange in the hallway outside of Tuesday’s School Board meeting where plans for next month’s reopening were … Click to Continue »
Dozens of federal agents fanned out across South Florida Tuesday to carry out the first search warrants related to the assassination of Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, focusing on two local … Click to Continue »
Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid said he doesn’t believe in “shaming,” one way or the other, when it comes to the choice to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But on Monday … Click to Continue »