Long Island University Brooklyn students have more reason to stay on campus this semester. After over a year of construction, the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment opened the doors to its state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos pro studio on Thursday (Sept. 19).

The innovative 2,4000 square-foot studio will immediately be made available to students and immersed into programs and various workshops throughout the fall.

Equipped with four iso booths, a tracking and control room featuring ground-breaking technology to ensure students have all of the proper resources to be able to operate in various roles involving recording, producing and mixing in the studio after graduation.

“This new Dolby Atmos studio further solidifies our school’s place at the forefront of music education,” Said Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton in a statement. “Every detail in the facility was methodically curated for our students and I’m excited for them to maximize their learning experience on campus and prepare to enter the workforce with an unprecedented advantage.”

It’s a full-circle moment for Guru, who serves as the Director of Music Technology, Entrepreneurship and Production at the Roc Nation School of Music. Gu had the studio modeled after the famed Baseline Studios in Manhattan where he honed his craft as an engineer and assisted Jay-Z in recording a plethora of classic tracks throughout his Hall of Fame career.

Enter Dave Malekpour, who was responsible for designing Baseline Studios in 2000, and the Pro Audio Design president helped integrate the Roc Nation School of Music facility over two decades later.

“The system we’ve developed represents the most powerful and detailed 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup, which reflects the distinct sound and culture of Roc Nation, and paving the way for the next generation of audio professionals,” said Malekpour. ”This has been a thrilling project from start to finish, made all the more rewarding by our collaboration with Tressa Cunningham, Young Guru and the LIU team, with the support of both Malekpour Design Partners and the Pro Audio Design teams, culminating in a world-class, industry-leading system perfected by our build team to meet the most exacting specifications.”

With the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, the future-forward studio on campus becomes one of the largest professional Dolby Atmos recording studios in all of New York.

“We’re thrilled to open this next-generation studio to bolster our curriculum and better serve our ambitious students,” added Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment dean Tressa Cunningham. “Our new facility will enable students to gain immersive experience using the latest technology to put themselves in the strongest positions to thrive after graduation. It also creates a new opportunity for the School to engage with the larger creative community.”

Find another photo of the brand new studio on LIU Brooklyn’s campus below.

UPDATE (Sept. 19): Frankie Beverly, who died on Sept. 10 at age 77, has been added to the previously announced list of 2024 inductees into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. This year’s ceremony will take place on Oct. 6 at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly had nine top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart from 1978 to 1990, including two that reached No. 1 – “Back in Stride” and “Can’t Get Over You.” Beverly single-handedly wrote all nine of these songs. With Beverly added to the list of honorees, six of the 11 artists being honored this year have topped Billboard‘s flagship R&B chart.

Beyoncé recorded Maze’s 1981 hit “Before I Left Go” as a bonus track on her 2019 album Homecoming: The Live Album. Beverly told Billboard that the cover was “one of the high points of (his) life … in a class of its own” and made him “feel bigger than ever! I feel like I have a huge smash out there.”

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly was never even nominated for a Grammy, though the group did get its flowers at the BET Awards in 2012, when it received a lifetime achievement award. Other awards included the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award (2006), the NAACP Image Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (2024) and a TV One Urban One Honors Living Legend Award (2024).

PREVIOUSLY (Aug. 16): The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame has announced its 2024 class of inductees: Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Lattimore, Candi Staton, Ginuwine, Regina Belle, Buddy Miles, William Bell, Terry Stewart, Rose Marie McCoy, Ken Hawkins, and the influential Boddie Recording Company.

Five of the 10 artists have topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (or its predecessors). Belle topped it twice, with “Baby Come to Me” (1989) and “Make It Like It Was” (1990). Ginuwine also topped it twice, with “Pony” (1996) and “Differences” (2001). Three other artists each topped it once: Staton with “Young Hearts Run Free” (1976), Bell with “Tryin’ to Love Two” (1977) and Osborne with “She’s on the Left” (1988).

Belle also topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993 with “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme),” a collab with Peabo Bryson.

Additionally, special honors will be bestowed upon Leo’s Casino alumni, including Aretha Franklin, Gene Chandler, Chuck Conway, Sr., Martha Reeves, Fred Wheatt, Freddie Arrington, The Temptations, and The O’Jays.

These individuals and groups will be honored at the 13th annual National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 6. The event will take place at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

“This year’s remarkable group of inductees exemplifies the rich diversity and influence of R&B music,” LaMont Robinson, founder of the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “We are excited to return the ceremony to Metro Cleveland and celebrate the enduring legacy of Leo’s Casino, a vital part of the city’s music history from the 1960s.”

More than 300 R&B artists inducted since its National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame’s inception in 2013. The roster includes legends such as James Brown, Prince, B.B. King, New Edition, The O’Jays, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, and Whitney Houston.

Tickets for the event are $35 and $50. For ticket information and to learn more about the ceremony, visit WWW.RBHOF.COM.

The Eagles paid loving tribute to their late friend and collaborator J.D. Souther on Wednesday (Sept. 18) in a heartfelt message posted just a day after the singer/songwriter/actor died at 78. “We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s,” the veteran easy rocking band wrote. “J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor.  He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini … and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime.”

The band — whose current lineup includes founding singer/drummer Don Henley, as well as guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist Timothy B. Schmit and guitarist/vocalists Deacon Frey and Vince Gill — continued with an homage to the versatile Souther’s many loves and contributions to their legendary songbook.

“Born in Detroit and raised in the Texas Panhandle, he was a student of the deep roots of the best American music – from country, to jazz, to classical, as well as ‘Standards’ from the Great American Songbook – and that knowledge and appreciation informed his work,” they wrote. “He was a crucial co-writer on many of our most popular songs, including, ‘The Best of My Love,’ ‘New Kid in Town,’ and ‘Heartache Tonight.’ J.D. also collaborated on many of Don Henley’s solo works, including ‘The Heart of the Matter,’ ‘Little Tin God,’ ‘If Dirt Were Dollars’ and ‘Talking to the Moon.’”

According to a statement on his official website, John David “JD” Souther — also known for his collaborations with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt, Roy Orbison and for his acting roles in My Girl 2 and Postcards From the Edge — died peacefully at his home in New Mexico on Tuesday. Souther’s longtime friendship with Frey resulted in his collaborations on many Eagles songs, including “James Dean” and “Doolin-Dalton,” helping to make Souther — whose voice bore an eerily similar tone to Frey’s — a staple of the 1970s California country-rock scene.

“We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world,” the Eagles added. “He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many. Adios, old friend. Travel well.”

Former Eagles guitarist/vocalist Don Felder also posted a tribute, writing, “It is with heavy heart to start the day with the news of JD’s passing. The invisible Eagle has left the nest. His writing contribution and vocal contributions to the music industry has been a blessing to the whole world. He will be missed but his songs will live on forever.”

Souther was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, but never reached the pinnacle of success with his solo work as the Eagles’ lofty heights, landing his biggest chart success wit his 1979 No. 7 Billboard Hot 100 single “You’re Only Lonely.”

Donations in Souther’s honor can be made to the Best Friends Animal Society.

Billboard and Telemundo have unveiled the first wave of performers set to take center stage at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Bringing their latest collaborations and hit singles to the awards ceremony are confirmed acts Fuerza Regida, Grupo Niche, Luis Alfonso, Maria Becerra, Xavi and Yandel. The announcement comes one week after the Billboard Latin Music Awards revealed its 2024 finalists.

With eight entries, including artist of the year, Fuerza Regida is one of the top finalists at the awards show. Xavi is a seven-time finalist, and both Grupo Niche and Yandel have one entry.

Karol G leads the list with 17 entries in categories including artist of the year, tour of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and top Latin album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). 

The Colombian superstar is followed by Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma with 15 nods each. Bunny competes, among others, for artist of the year, global 200 artist of the year, and tour of the year. While La Doble P is also up for artist of the year, global 200 artist of the year, in addition to songwriter of the year, and regional Mexican album of the year for Éxodo. 

The 31st annual ceremony will be broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20 via Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on the Spanish entertainment cable network Universo, on Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards — the only awards that recognize the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music, according to Billboard‘s weekly charts — coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Beach Oct. 14-18 with a roster of star speakers including Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan, Danny Ocean, Peso Pluma and many more. Get your tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 here.

In a bid to further grow its operation and expand its international footprint, Bresh — the brand behind the Fiesta Bresh parties — has partnered with New York based investment firm Carroll Street Capital.

The two companies will launch Bresh Global, an international media and branded live events platform. Carroll Street will provide an infusion of cash as well as strategic access and support to continue growing the Bresh brand, whose global presence has multiplied in the past two years. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Bresh’s leadership will remain in place, with Tomás Allande as CEO, Alejandro “Bröder” Saporiti as artistic director, and founder Jaime James involved in all operations.

Eduardo García Fernández, co-founder and managing partner of Carroll Street Capital will now also be chairman of Bresh global.

Bresh Global will establish its headquarters in Miami, with additional offices in Los Angeles. The company currently has offices in Buenos Aires and Madrid.

“Our mission at Bresh Global is to create human connections through entertainment and collective experiences,” said Jaime James in a press release. “In a world increasingly dominated by digital interactions, live events have the unique power to bring people together and transcend cultures. With this expansion, we aim to bring moments of joy to new audiences on a global scale.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to elevate Bresh to new heights,” added Eduardo García Fernández. “This partnership brings additional resources to Bresh to accelerate its growth and introduce new verticals and formats worldwide.”

Bresh, whose slogan is “The most beautiful party in the world,” is an entertainment company known for parties targeted at Gen Zs around the world and built on the concept of inclusivity rather than exclusivity. Bresh tickets are eminently affordable — in Miami, the cheapest ticket is $25 — and there is no doorman denying entry based on gender or looks. Instead of hiring celebrity DJs for its parties, all Fiesta Bresh DJs are Bresh-trained. Perhaps because of its inclusivity DNA, the parties have become magnets for Latin celebrities, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Emilia and Tini, Rauw Alejandro and Bizarrap, who have all been spotted at Bresh parties.

Bresh, which began hosting parties in Argentina, has expanded its operations to over 20 countries, and now puts together some 500 annual events, including in the U.S. and Spain.

Sources say Bresh and Carroll have been in conversations for the past two years and share the vision that “happiness and connections are essential, regardless of who you are or where you live.”