There’s a new front in the nasty legal war between hip-hop producer Madlib and his longtime manager Eothen “Egon” Alapatt: The many songs recorded during their decade-long partnership.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday (Nov. 11) against Madlib (Otis Lee Jackson Jr.), Egon asked a federal judge to decide who owns the rights to the masters created over the years at their Madicine Show label — tracks that feature Madlib’s beats under vocals by Mac Miller, Freddie Gibbs, Four Tet and others.

“Jackson now claims those works as his personal property and seeks to withdraw them entirely from Madicine Show’s catalog,” writes Egon’s attorney Kenneth Freundlich. “That is not how the law works.”

In a statement to Billboard, Madlib responded to Egon’s new claims: “I trusted someone who didn’t value the art the way I do. This is a reminder that not everyone who stands beside you is standing for you. When you move with truth, you don’t have to defend yourself. Time and integrity do the talking.”

Madlib, a critically-acclaimed producer known for his work with Kanye West (now Ye) and the late MF Doom, went to court first in 2024 — accusing Egon of “rank self-dealing” and “pervasive mismanagement.” The case, filed in California state court, claimed the manager had abused his power over Madicine Show to profit at Madlib’s expense.

Egon hit back in May, filing a countersuit blasting Madlib for “having the audacity to bring this mean-spirited personal action.” In one notable claim, Egon said Madlib’s new label was interfering with music projects that legally belong to Madicine Show, including the release of a years-old recording of the late Miller that has long been rumored to be in the works.

In the new case on Tuesday, Egon said he needed “immediate federal intervention” in that legal battle because of a key new development in the earlier lawsuit.

Last month, a Los Angeles judge sided with Madlib and ruled that a court-appointed receiver should oversee the corporate dissolution of Madicine Show. The ruling came over objections from Egon, who said he himself should oversee the company’s wind-down. “Defendant is not the appropriate person to oversee the dissolution process,” the judge said at the time. “The court will appoint a receiver.”

But now, weeks later, Egon says in his new lawsuit that the breakup process cannot move ahead until it’s clear who owns the company’s “most valuable assets”: its catalog of recorded music. And since copyright law is handled exclusively by federal courts, he says that decision must be made by a U.S. district judge.

“The recordings at issue were created and exploited pursuant to a licensing relationship between Jackson and Madicine Show,” Egon writes. “They remain company assets, and their ownership must be determined under the Copyright Act.”

According to the lawsuit, the tracks recorded by Miller and others over Madlib’s beats were “facilitated, supervised, and produced” by Egon under a longstanding arrangement in which the company controlled them. The producer’s recent claim that “he alone owns all copyrights” is “mystifying” and legally incorrect, the suit says.

“This position ignores the parties’ mutual understanding and Alapatt’s creative, financial, and managerial contributions,” Egon’s lawyers write. “After benefiting from that arrangement, Jackson cannot revoke or withdraw those rights or claim exclusive ownership of works that were created, produced, and marketed under Madicine Show’s direction.”

Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return requests for comment on the new case.

A flurry of earnings reports for the quarter ended Sept. 30 show a continued divide in the music landscape. Live music companies such as Live Nation and MSG Entertainment posted double-digit growth as concert demand surged, while HYBE and SM Entertainment also benefitted from strong concert revenues. Streaming also spiked once again, pushing Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) to double-digit revenue growth. Legacy media didn’t fare as well, however: iHeartMedia revenue slipped slightly, while SiriusXM leveraged cost-cutting to compensate for flat revenue. 

Here’s a running list, in alphabetical order, of the music companies that released earnings results (as of Nov. 11) for the quarter ended Sept 30, 2025. 

Cumulus Media: The radio company’s revenue fell 11.5% to $180.3 million and net loss grew to $20.4 million from $10.3 million in the prior-year quarter. The advertising business remains “challenging for legacy media,” CEO Mary Berner said. Broadcast radio revenue sank 17.2% to $115.0 million. Digital revenue fell 2.6% to $39.0 million, though it was up 8.4% if the loss of The Daily Wire and Dan Bongino aren’t counted. Check out our full radio earnings roundup here.

Deezer: Revenue dropped 1% to $154 million as gains from self-paying users almost offset losses in business-to-business subscribers. Direct subscribers grew in number to 5.5 million, up nearly 10%, and direct subscription revenue increased 1.6% to $103 million. Revenue from partnerships fell 12.6% to $42 million and subscribers from these partnerships dropped 24.5% from the prior-year quarter. Go to the full article for more details.

HYBE: Tours by BTS member Jin and groups SEVENTEEN and TOMORROW X TOGETHER helped Q3 revenue rise 38% to $519 million, as strong concert revenue ($174 million) helped make up for recorded music’s 11.5% decline to $136 million. Operating loss was $30 million, a big turnaround from a $40 million operating profit a year earlier. More details in the full article. 

iHeartMedia: CEO Bob Pittman was “pleased” with the performance and boasted of new partnerships with TikTok and Amazon Ads, which will expand the company’s podcast and advertising businesses, respectively. Revenue of $997 million was down 1.1% (up 2.8% excluding the prior-year period’s political advertising). Adjusted EBITDA was flat at $205 million. Podcast revenue jumped 22% to $140 million while the multi-platform group, which included broadcast radio, fell 5% to $591 million. Q4 guidance is a low-single-digit revenue decline. Find more details here.

LiveOne: The U.S. music streaming company’s revenue dropped 42% to $18.8 million primarily due to a decrease in Slacker revenue after losing preferred status in Tesla cars. Adjusted EBITDA fell to -$1.0 million from $2.9 million in the prior-year period. In a Nov. 12 earnings call, CEO Rob Ellin called the last 12 months “transformative” and pointed to the company’s embraced AI and reduction of its staff from 350 to 95. Sales and marketing costs dropped 34% and general and administrative expense, which includes salaries, fell 9.2% from the prior-year period.

Live Nation: As fans packed themselves into stadiums in record numbers, revenue rose 11% to $8.5 billion and adjusted operating income (AOI) grew 14% to $1.03 billion. Concerts revenue was up 11% to $7.3 billion. Ticketing revenue rose 15% to $798 million. Sponsorships revenue jumped 13% to $443 million. Importantly, increases in deferred revenue suggest Live Nation will experience additional growth into 2026. Read about the earnings here and check out Billboard’s follow-up article with additional details from the earnings call.

MSG Entertainment: Boosted by a record number of concerts at the Madison Square Garden arena, MSG Entertainment’s revenue jumped 14% to $158.3 million and adjusted operating income improved to $7.1 million from $1.9 million in the prior-year period. Revenue from concerts rose $8.3 million while sporting events revenue improved $6.8 million. Food and beverage revenue jumped 20%, or $3.9 million. Looking ahead, MSGE’s Christmas Spectacular, the company’s annual holiday production at Radio City Music Hall, is slated for 215 performances, up from 200 a year earlier. 

Reservoir Media: Fiscal second quarter revenue of $45.4 million was up 7% organically, or 12% including acquisitions. Net income of $2.2 million was up from $0.2 million in the prior-year quarter. Music publishing revenue rose 8% to $30.9 million, while recorded music revenue jumped 21% to $13.0 million. The results prompted management to adjust upward its forecasts for full-year revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. 

Ryman Hospitality Properties: The country-focused entertainment division, which includes the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, had revenue $91.6 million, up 10.5% from the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA rose 10.2% to $24.7 million. International engagement of the Opry brand, which held its first-ever international performance in London in September, has “exceeded our expectations,” president and CEO Mark Fioravanti said in a statement. Despite increased competition for country fans in downtown Nashville, Fioravanti said Ryman is confident in the “unique nature of our portfolio.”

SiriusXM: The satellite radio company’s stock price jumped 10% after it raised 2025 guidance for revenue, EBITDA and cash flow. Although it reported a 1% dip in revenue, the company rebounded from a loss to produce net income of $297 million; while subscriber revenue was down, cost-cutting and layoffs helped offset the decline. Adjusted EBITDA fell 2.5% to $676 million. CEO Jennifer Witz said she is “confident” that improvements will allow the company to reach its target of $1.5 billion of free cash flow by 2027. Check out Billboard’s coverage for more details.

SM Entertainment: Led by concerts and music releases from aespa and NCT WISH, revenue rose 33% to $237.3 million. Operating profit jumped 262% to $35.6 million. Recorded music rose 33% $71.4 million, while new album sales grew to 5.42 million from 3.61 million in the third quarter of 2024. And concert revenue rose 38% to $38.7 million despite the company having fewer concerts compared to the prior-year period. Go to the full article for more info.

Sony Music: Rising streaming income and the success of the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle helped Sony Music’s revenue jump 21% to $3.65 billion and operating income climb 28% to $776 million. Overall streaming revenues rose 12% in recorded music and 25% in the publishing division. Physical sales rose 6%. Looking ahead, Sony increased its full-year forecast for Sony Music’s sales by 6% to $13.3 billion. The full article has all the details. 

Sphere Entertainment Co.: The Wizard of Oz and the Backstreet Boys boosted Sphere parent company’s revenue to $263 million and helped turn negative adjusted operating income (AOI) into $36 million of positive AOI. Oz has sold more than 1 million tickets to date, and showings of that title and other movies rose to 220 from 207 in the prior-year quarter. The Sphere segment itself posted an operating loss of $84 million — a $40 million improvement from a year ago. More details in the full article. 

Spotify: The audio giant’s subscribers rose 12% to 281 million and gross margin improved by 56 basis points — 0.56 of a point — to 31.6%. Those improvements led revenue to increase 12% to $5 billion and gross profit to grow 9% to $1.84 billion. “We have the tools we need — pricing, product innovation, operational leverage, and eventually the ads turnaround — to deliver both revenue growth and profit expansion,” said CEO Daniel Ek. Check out our full story on the earnings release and our follow-up article with details from the earnings call.

Universal Music Group: In another strong quarter, UMG posted a 10.2% revenue gain (in constant currency) to $3.5 billion. EBITDA rose 11.6% (also in constant currency) to $694 million and EBITDA margin ticked up to 22.0% from 21.6%. Recorded music subscription revenue, a closely watched metric, rose 8.6% while other streaming revenue was flat at $394 million. Go to the full article for all the details and check out the follow-up article for more insights. 

Vivid Seats: With disappointing results came an announcement that CFO Lawrence Fey will replace Stan Chia as CEO. In Q3, the secondary ticketing marketplace posted a 27% drop in revenue, to $136.4 million, and a 29% decline in gross order value, to $618.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell to $4.9 million from $34.1 million in the prior-year period. Vivid Seats is doubling its cost savings target to $60 million and “simplified our corporate structure” for better efficiency, Fey said in a statement.

YG Entertainment: The K-pop company behind BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER posted a 107% increase in revenue to 173.1 billion KRW ($127.7 million). Operating profit improved to 31.1 billion KRW ($23.0 million) from a 3.6 billion KRW ($2.6 million) operating loss in the prior-year period. Net income rose to 24.4 billion KRW ($18.0 million) from a net loss of 937 million KRW ($691,000).

Toni Cornell is reflecting on the emotional experience of performing at her late father Chris Cornell‘s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday (Nov. 8). The grunge icon was enshrined posthumously along with his Soundgarden bandmates — drummer Matt Cameron, bassist Ben Shepherd, guitarist Kim Thayil and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto — with Toni, 21, performing a moving version of the band’s 1995 single “Fell on Black Days” alongside Heart’s Nancy Wilson.

“Soundgarden belonged in the Rock Hall from the day they started making their revolutionary music. A huge congratulations to Matt, Kim, Ben, and Hiro, and especially to my dad, who should have been here to share this moment with his bandmates. I know how proud he is,” Toni wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday (Nov. 11). “Thank you to the legendary @nancywilson for honoring him beside me, and to Brandi [Carlile] and Taylor [Momsen] for continuously sharing his music and keeping his spirit alive. And to the fans, who are the reason this music still breathes.”

Toni said that performing the churning single from the band’s fourth studio album, Superunknown, was “one of the greatest honors of my life, and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. My dad’s absence is always felt, but singing his songs always makes me feel closer to him. I’m so grateful I got to share this moment for him, and with him, in some way.”

The young singer who released her debut single, “Far Away Places,” in 2019, included a number of pictures from Saturday’s induction performance, as well as a snap of the first time she ever saw her dad’s band perform live in which she is holding up an iPad while watching from the wings. The photo roll also included a snap with her brother, Christopher Cornell and an image of the siblings greeting their dad onstage as children.

“I was six years old when Soundgarden reunited. My brother and I were lucky to see small pieces of that moment unfold, not realizing we were witnessing something historic,” she wrote of seeing the legendary grunge band come back together in 2010 following their split in 1997. “I’ll never forget walking into Soundgarden’s reunion show with my brother, my American Girl doll in tow, and seeing my dad step onstage again with Soundgarden after more than a decade. I might have been too young to understand the magnitude of this moment, but I still knew I was witnessing something extraordinary. I will forever be grateful for those years, eventually spending time in Seattle and experiencing the greatness of the Pacific Northwest that inspired my dad and his bandmates so immensely.”

Toni said those critical moments watching her dad shaped her, while being on the road for years with the band also molded her as an artist and person outside her public persona as “Chris’s daughter.” She said people would often tell her that Cornell and Soundgarden’s music had saved them, and watching the band’s legacy get honored by the Rock Hall made her realize how true that was.

“Daddy, you are beloved and your music will forever change people’s lives. Long live Soundgarden,” she wrote.

The emotional post got a thumbs up from Pretty Reckless singer Momsen, who earlier in the night took the stage fronting Soundgarden at the induction ceremony to perform a searing version of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage.” “So beautiful Toni,” Momsen wrote in the comments.

Check out Toni Cornell’s performance below.

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There’s nothing better than a sale, except maybe early access to a sale.

While Black Friday isn’t officially here yet, you can still shop deals ahead of time pre-turkey. The pseudo holiday is all about shopping for deals on things that you’ve been eyeing all year, getting the best bang for your buck. To save you the time of digging through multiple sales, we’ve rounded up a list of the Black Friday deals that are actually worth shopping with savings of up to 80% off on everything your heart desires from makeup and skincare to footwear and bedding. We’re talking major early deals on top brands like Dr Martens, Savage x Fenty, Ulta Beauty and more. Shop our early Black Friday 2025 picks below. 

Dr Marten – Shopping for a new pair of Docs? Save up to 25% off select styles during Dr Martens’ Black Friday. You can also get an extra 11% off on sale items when you enter the code EXTRA11 at checkout.

Savage x Fenty – Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty is offering 70% off sitewide for new reward members.

Calvin Klein – Save 50% off sitewide, 30% off underwear, and an extra 60% off sales items, plus an extra 25% off your order.

Brooklinen – Save up to 75% off on award-winning styles while supplies last.

Amazon – Save up to 70% off millions of items at Amazon.  

Aldo – Buy one get up to 40% off on shoes, handbags and accessories.

Adrian Landau – Save up to 80% while supplies last.

Walmart – Save up to 50% off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Walmart+ members will be able to shop the sale early, Nov. 13.

Our Place — Save up to 35% off sitewide.

Purple Mattress – Save up to $1,500 off a Purple mattress and base.   

Ulta – Save up to 40% off select items, including M.A.C, NYX, Tarte, Lancome and IT Cosmetics.

Nordstrom – Save up to 60% off clothes, shoes, beauty and other items.

To help you further sift through all the deals, we’ve also included a few products hand-picked by us at ShopBillboard. Shop our favorite deals below.

Black Friday Deals You Still Have Time to Shop

From top to bottom, Dr Martens’ 1460 boot is an iconic silhouette, associated with prominent countercultures and even music genres like punk. The classic ankle-length style never goes on sale, especially not for as affordable as $128. If you aren’t familiar with the 1460, the silhouette usually consists of black uppers, often leather, and the brand’s iconic bright yellow welt stitching around the durable rubber soles.

Where this model, the PASCAL, differs from the original is in the construction. You’ve got forest green Ambassador leather, a material that gives the shoe a lived-in look straight out of the box. It’s everything you love about the OG 1460, but with a more relaxed look that you won’t have to break in. What’s not to love?

One of the easiest gifts to give someone this holiday season, or yourself, is the gift of comfort with this KULE Cashmere Blend Robe from Brooklinen. The style is currently 49% off and comes in sizes small/medium to large/XL. The robe is made of a plush and super soft blend of 30% cashmere & 70% wool and features nautical striping on the bottom hem, contrasting the cream base. The detail is simple, but it gives the robe a lot more character. This gift is for the hard workers who never seem to take a break. Cozy up. You’ve earned it.

A two-in-one product is one of our favorite things. It’s sort of like getting two products for the price of one. Ninja has capitalized on our love of dual functions this holiday season by dropping a blender and food processor combo for just $169.95, allowing users to chop and blend to their heart’s content. The duo is great for making smoothies, spreads and shakes with six useful functions. The Ninja tool features a 72-oz pitcher, great for making big batches of all your favorites from soups to sauces. The blender and food processor duo also comes with to-go cups, a nifty addition for those looking to take their blended creations on the go.

Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum is iconic, but also quite pricey. Right now, the perfume is just $92.40, 30% off its OG price. You get a decorative 1.7 oz bottle filled with an elevated gourmand that lasts up to 12 hours. Top notes like iris lend a floral touch, blending into earthy patchouli notes and those gourmand notes on the base with sweet spun sugar and warm vanilla. Gifting a fragrance can be tricky; however, this one is a classic gourmand with notes that almost everyone will love. Who knows. Maybe it’ll become a signature sent for that special someone.

Kiehl’s is upping men’s grooming game with this three piece Morning Reboot Set for just $50. The set is an $81 value and comes with everything you need to start your day off right including a Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash to cleanse, Facial Fuel Invigorating Moisture Treatment to hydrate and a Ultimate Man Body Scrub bar for exfoliating the body. We’d say shop this bundle because you’re getting a good deal for three full-size products that work and work well. Trust us. The man in your life will thank you.

The Shark FlexStyle is comparable to Dyson’s Airwrap, but for half the price. The FlexStyle uses air instead of heat to style your hair, preventing damage. The styling tool works on all hair types, from coils to waves, and comes with a bunch of attachments, including large barrels to curl and wave hair; brushes to control and shape; and smoothing dryer for drying, smoothing and keeping flyaways at bay. We’d recommend buying this tool if you want the Airwrap but can’t justify the price. 

As we get into the colder months, you’re obviously going to need a jacket, and a cozy one at that. Why not treat yourself, or a loved one, to a quality Abercrombie & Fitch jacket? Especially since the brand’s early Black Friday deals are in full swing, lowering the price point on a ton of their outerwear. Our personal pick is the brand’s Twill Workwear Jacket for $82.50. The style features a boxy but cropped fit with a ruched bubble hem that offers the style dimension. The crop is extremely flattering, sitting at the navel. You’ve also got an edgy camo print that really brings the workwear vibes to life.

Kate Spade rarely has sales, especially on their bags. The brand is currently running a 75% off sale on their Lucy Spade Flower Medium L-zip Wristlet. That’s just $35 for a classic and utterly sophisticated Wristlet style, aka a style that can be looped around your wrist. The zip-up style is equipped with a two-way script logo lining along with a 7.91 inch body, allowing users to store their must-haves from lip balm to your car keys. For even more storage, you’ve got an exterior back slip pocket and three interior credit card slots. We’d utilize this wristlet for organizing your bigger purses or as a clutch for a fancy night out. Even beyond the utility of this designer piece, the price is super attractive and one you’ll want to take advantage of before it’s out of stock.

You can give the gift of good sleep this holiday season by shopping for the viral Purple Mattress for yourself or a lucky person. The brand is running sales on a majority of their bedding and mattress styles. We love the brand’s mattresses because they’re equipped with a unique GelFlex Grid technology that provides pressure relief, temperature regulation and responsiveness, giving users a sleep they won’t soon forget. Mattresses usually cost an arm and a leg, so the brand’s 13% will get you pretty far.

Black Friday is all about scoring deals on expensive products that you’ve been eyeing all year long. That includes tech. The Google Pixel Tablet is one of those items we’ve been eyeing all season and now it’s finally on sale. The tech is equipped with an impressive 11-inch screen and an extra-long battery life, up to 12 hours to be exact.

This tablet also comes with Google AI that can help you with difficult tasks or answer all of your burning questions with a simple command. This tablet also allows you to manage your smart home devices with your voice or a tap on the home panel, giving you control over all of your tech with just a touch. If you’re looking to shop for a tablet, this one is your best bet. Compared to other models like the iPad, this $316.00 style is the best bang for your buck.

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones are the definition of luxe, and they’re only $198 right now during Amazon Prime Day. The style is noise-canceling and boasts adaptive sound control that changes based on your surroundings, offering a personalized listening experience. The headphones also have a hefty battery life of 30 hours on a single charge, which means you’ll be able to listen to your faves, whether that be Taylor Swift or BTS, without interruption.

There’s nothing worse than your phone dying out on you when you’re out and about and you need it the most. With this Charmast 10000mAh Wired Portable Charger, dead phones can be a thing of the past for just $18.99. The portable charger is slim for easy transport and comes with a built-in input/output cable for multiple devices. Our favorite feature? This product is fast charging, getting your tech back to full charge faster so you can get back to it.

Adrienne Landau is another place where we’d suggest splurging on outerwear. The retailer is currently running up to 79% off its outerwear collection. That’s including vests, bomber jackets and little faux-fur numbers like this Snow Leopard Faux Fur Jacket. Sizing on this piece ranges from small to XL. The cropped style currently retails for $47.99 and is made of a fuzzy faux-fur material that insulates, keeping you warm even in the most frigid of conditions. The leopard print is a timeless touch that further elevates the cropped style, giving it more personality.

For more seasonal savings, see our roundup of Black Friday TV deals starting at $60, sales on arcade cabinets and beauty deals you won’t want to pass up.