Dale Morris, the legendary Nashville artist manager who helped build the superstar careers of Alabama and Kenny Chesney, has died. He was 89.
Morris died peacefully in his sleep Friday night (Aug. 21), his representatives said. A specific cause of death was not provided.
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Management in Country Music
“He lived a big, bold, beautiful, blessed life, and I’m holding onto that right now,” Clint Higham, president of Morris Higham Management, said in a statement about his mentor and longtime business partner. “It’s the end of an era.”
Morris began his career in the music industry as a songwriter, penning Johnny Paycheck’s 1967 single “Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey” before turning his attention to the business side.
After launching Dale Morris & Associates, Morris was introduced to the up-and-coming band Alabama in 1979 at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Under his management, Alabama went on to score 33 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — the most among duos or groups — and became an unstoppable touring force, bringing production values on par with those of the era’s biggest rock acts.
In the early 1990s, Morris forged a professional relationship with aspiring country singer Chesney, who would go on to become a Country Music Hall of Famer and one of the highest-grossing country touring artists of all time, according to Billboard Boxscore. Chesney also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, with 33.
Morris’ other clients included Martina McBride, Barbara Mandrell, Jake Owen, Old Dominion, Brandon Lay, Ryan Griffin and Walker County.
“He was larger than life, and never met a dream he couldn’t build,” Higham said. “Dale Morris gave me my first internship, and I never wanted to go anywhere else. He saw things in people, in me, in Kenny, and inspired everyone to reach beyond what we thought possible. Maybe it’s how much he loved life, loved his family, loved us.”
In 2018, Paradigm (now called THE·TEAM) acquired Dale Morris & Associates, the in-house booking business of Morris and Higham’s firm, Morris Higham Management.
During his career, Morris also received the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award in 2014.
Morris was married to his wife, Earline, for 68 years. He was preceded in death by his son, Tim. He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Jennifer; grandchildren Zack, Colton (and wife Mary Blair), Nick (and wife Shelby) and Kendall; and great-grandchildren Mary Dee and Gus.
“We’re so blessed to have had 90 years with him as the patriarch of our family,” his grandson Zack Morris said in a statement. “Thank you to our music industry family and to his vast community of friends in Nashville, Boca and beyond for loving him all these many years.”
A celebration of life is being planned for later this fall, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, Morris’ family is asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-23 03:03:462026-08-23 03:03:46Dale Morris, Nashville Manager Who Guided Careers of Alabama & Kenny Chesney, Dies at 89
Early Motown songwriter Janie Bradford Hobbs, who helped pen hits including “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” has died following an extended illness at a Los Angeles hospital, her family said Saturday (Aug. 22). She was 87.
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Bradford Hobbs was born in Charleston, Missouri, and later moved to Detroit.
She was introduced in the late 1950s to Motown founder Berry Gordy by neighbor and singer Jackie Wilson. She joined Motown as a receptionist in 1958 and like many of the company’s employees took part in the creative process that helped make Motown a music industry powerhouse.
She and Gordy co-wrote “Money (That’s What I Want).” The song was recorded in 1959 by Barrett Strong and became an early hit. It was covered by The Beatles and also became one of that group’s hits.
“Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” first was recorded by The Temptations and later became a hit for Marvin Gaye. Bradford Hobbs also wrote songs for Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas and others.
“Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the Motown family,” Gordy said in a statement.
“Janie was one of a special group I have always thought of as the original Motown family — the unsung heroes who believed in the dream before anyone knew what Motown would become,” Gordy continued. “She was one of the people who helped make Motown what it became.”
Bradford Hobbs later became head of Writer Relations for Jobete, Motown’s publishing company. After leaving Motown, she founded the annual Heroes and Legends Awards. The event spanned about 30 years, honoring music icons and awarding scholarships, according to her family.
She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs; daughter, Nicole Hobbs; son, Lance Finney; and two grandsons. Funeral services have not been completed.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-23 03:03:452026-08-23 03:03:45Janie Bradford, Early Motown Songwriter & ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ Co-Writer, Dies at 87
Exactly one year after his previous arrest on similar charges, the 28-year-old rapper was arrested again in Texas on Friday (Aug. 21).
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The Dallas native, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was arrested by the Allen Police Department and booked into Collin County Jail on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Dallas’ KDFW.
On Aug. 21, 2025, BigXthaPlug was arrested in North Texas on marijuana and weapon possession charges. He was out on bail for those charges when he was arrested Friday.
The rapper was scheduled to perform at the Country Rising Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but was forced to cancel his appearance.
Organizers wrote in a statement on X that they understood the “disappointment and frustrated felt by those in attendance.” In another statement on Instagram, the festival wrote that BigXthaPlug wouldn’t be appearing “due to a personal emergency.”
The rapper is still slated to perform at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Saturday (Aug. 22). “We are aware of reports regarding BigXthaPlug. We are in communication with his agent and at this time, we have been told he will still be performing,” organizers there told KCCI in Des Moines.
In February 2025, BigXthaPlug was arrested on a marijuana possession charge in Arlington, Texas.
Last September, BigXthaPlug earned his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart with “All the Way,” featuring Bailey Zimmerman. Its parent album, I Hope You’re Happy, debuted in the top two on both the Top Rap Albums and Top Country Albums charts.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-23 03:03:442026-08-23 03:03:44BigXthaPlug Faces Drug and Gun Charges One Year After Last Arrest
The Game says he didn’t diss anybody on his new project.
The West Coast rapper just dropped The Documentary III, his 11th solo album, and fans feel like he took shots at fellow Compton MC Kendrick Lamar multiple times. He even has Drake featured on a hook. However, The Game denies these claims — although he seemingly mentions Lamar and alludes to Dot’s beef with Drake multiple times on the project.
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Instagram page @obzervetv reposted a rant from user @tyleravilez in which he criticizes Game for “dissing” Kendrick because they’re both from the same city and that he should be taking on more of an “elder” role at this point in his career. “As an L.A. native, we’re supposed to be sticking together, we’re supposed to be showing that we are a unit, and that if you mess with one of us, you mess with all us, and yet you dissin’ one of our own,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense, bro. Wrap it up.”
He added: “At this point in time, you’re supposed to be an elder. You are supposed to helping the youth. Giving people opportunity, so they can get in the rap game and flourish.”
The Game then hopped in @obzervetv‘s comments and said he didn’t diss Kendrick at all. “Ain’t diss nobody on that song loud fa nuthin ahhhh [ninja emoji],” he wrote in a comment that has been pinned.
For what it’s worth, on the song “Geezus,” The Game raps, “I say Drake the homie, y’all say it’s treason/ I can’t believe it/ Want me to pick sides while y’all d–kride/ When you’re from the west side you ain’t gotta pick sides…/ I draw led, erase you n—as/ Put that on God, it’s me against all odds/ I’ll pop the steering column on the GNX and wait for n—as.” Then, on “No Brakes” featuring Drake, he mentions picking sides again when he raps, “Me, Drake and a Draco, we the Three Amigos/ N—a said pick a side, then I’m picking homicide,” in reference to the Toronto rapper and Kendrick’s battle in 2024. On “LA Monster,” he alludes to Lamar’s “Boogeyman” moniker and again mentions GNX, the title of Lamar’s 2024-released best rap album Grammy winner. “I ain’t got no problem with the boogeyman/ And he ain’t got a problem with me/ ‘Cause I’ma LA Monster,” he raps and later spits, “I might drive the Rose today/ The GNX scare the hoes away/ ‘Cause I’ma LA Monster.”
Finally, on the track titled “The Pen,” he brings Kendrick up again, but this time, he acknowledges the speculation that he’s been throwing shots and says that he hasn’t been. “Like Dr. Dre on the beat/ Yeah, I’m back with that sound/ They say I’m beefing with Kendrick/ How the f— do that sound?” The Game raps, ” ‘Cause I’m feeling like 50 when he made ‘Back Down’/ They say 50 made me, tell him make me again/ I kick myself out the group and make them hate me again.”
According to fellow West coast rapper Stat Quo, this all stems from The Game bringing out Drake to Compton to film the music video for their 2015 song “100.” But Stat alleges The Game didn’t take issue with Kendrick working with his old label boss-turned-rival 50 Cent when he made an appearance on Power, so there shouldn’t be any animosity between the two Compton rappers.
Go stream The Documentary III and hear for yourself.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-22 03:03:442026-08-22 03:03:44The Game Responds to Allegations That He Takes Shots at Kendrick Lamar on New Album: ‘Ain’t Diss Nobody on That Song’
Not sure if you peeped, but it looks like Brooklyn rapper Fivio Foreign may be pivoting to Christian rap.
He recently sat down with The Shade Room and was asked why he’s changing the content of his rap music after going viral earlier this week when a clip of his new music surfaced. “Sometimes in life…I feel like…you gotta listen to that voice that’s talking to you,” he explained. “I feel like everybody is spiritual, everybody know who God is, right? And they pray a couple times, but you gotta actually do something for God. I mean, you’ve got to actually put in a little pain for God. I’m not a person that gotta learn the hard way, feel me? I just know when it’s time to get right.”
However, he doesn’t feel like he’s making gospel music exactly. “When people used to asked me if I was a drill artist, it was hard for to answer it,” he said after being asked if he sees himself as a gospel artist now. “So, as far as me being a gospel artist, this is the first time somebody asked me that question, I don’t feel like I’m a gospel artist and I really don’t feel like I’m doing gospel music, I just name it gospel music because I know what that means. But I feel like it’s just music from my heart. I got all types of beats on it. So, I don’t know what’s a real gospel beat, but the album got different styles of music where I’m praising God.”
Adding, “I don’t want to put it in a category. I’m just Fivi and I’m just trying to praise God through my music and not worship the devil through my music, push a positive image and change, you know, hopefully I get a blessing from God.”
He also said that he would like to eventually collaborate with gospel acts Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin in the future.
Fivio flirted with Christian rap on Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) 2021 Donda album on the song “Off the Grid” where he delivered one of the project’s standout verses.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-22 03:03:442026-08-22 03:03:44Fivio Foreign Pivots to Christian Rap, But Don’t Call Him a Gospel Artist: ‘I Don’t Want to Put It in a Category’
The first week of the Tupac Shakur murder trial featured dramatic opening statements, heated testimony from a former Bloods gang member, and infamous recordings in which defendant Duane “Keffe D” Davis candidly discussed the shooting with police detectives.
You’re reading Billboard’s weekly Tupac trial recap, a one-sheet breakdown of everything that happened in the epic murder case over the past week. Stay tuned here each Friday for all the testimony and big events you might have missed.
As the trial kicked off Monday (Aug. 17) with opening statements, prosecutors told jurors that Davis had orchestrated the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Tupac as “an act of revenge” after Shakur beat up his nephew. And, as expected, they leaned heavily on statements from the man himself – both in an interview with police and a 2019 tell-all memoir.
“Let’s be clear: Duane Davis did not pull the trigger,” prosecutor Binu Palal told jurors. “You will learn that when the opportunity presented itself for retribution, Duane Davis made sure that the shooters were armed and ready to execute their revenge. And remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself.”
In his own opener, defense attorney Michael W. Sanft said his client’s statements about he shooting had been fiction and that there was not hard evidence to corroborate them. At one point, he loaded a presentation screen for jurors that just read “Bulls–t” in white text. “Keffe D was known to do this,” the attorney told the jurors, pointing to the card.
After opening statements, jurors immediately began hearing witness testimony – first from Garry Dale, a Las Vegas police officer who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting and rode in the ambulance with Shakur. Dale told jurors that he tried to convince the rapper to say who did it, but that Shakur merely repeated “We’ll take care of it” several times: “I couldn’t get him to talk to me any further than that.”
Testimony on Tuesday included Reggie Wright Jr., a former head of security at Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, and James McDonald, a former Bloods gang member also linked to Knight. At one point, McDonald sparred with Sanft, suggesting he was hurting Davis’ case. “Talk to your lawyer, man,” McDonald said directly to Davis, before saying to Sanft: “I’m not finna send him to prison. You are!”
On Thursday and Friday, jurors heard a key piece of evidence: audio recordings of meetings in 2008 and 2009 in which Davis discussed the shooting with police detectives. At the time, the investigators told him that “nothing you say today can be used against you,” but the judge overseeing the current case later ruled that Davis waived that immunity by talking about the same events in public.
In the tapes, jurors heard Davis tell detectives that his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson – the man beaten by Tupac earlier in the night – had fired the shots that killed Shakur. Also in the recordings, Davis suggested that Sean “Diddy” Combs, then known as “Puffy,” was involved in conversations about the killing.
There’s been a long-simmering conspiracy theory that Combs ordered a hit on Shakur as part of the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop rivalry between his Bad Boy Records and Death Row. Combs has consistently denied any involvement in Shakur’s death; after a recent Netflix docuseries advanced the theory, attorneys for the now-imprisoned mogul sent a legal threat calling the project a “shameful hit piece.”
Testimony was also heard Friday from Leonard Jefferson, who took the last-ever photo of Shakur riding in a car with Knight before the shooting that night in Las Vegas. “I said, ‘Ay, what up, Pac?’” testified Jefferson of seeing the duo while stopped at a traffic light before grabbing a 35 millimeter camera out of his central console and snapping the famous picture.
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Daisy Chain Fields may be a one-day event, but the outfit possibilities are endless. Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural festival arrives Saturday, Aug. 29, at Great Park in Irvine, California, bringing together Stevie Nicks, KATSEYE, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Garbage, Bikini Kill, The Breeders and more for a cross-generational lineup. Tickets sold out in roughly 30 minutes, with an option to join a waitlist on the official website. But if you were one of the lucky ones to snag a pass, it’s officially time to figure out what to wear.
The festival’s name suggests a sunny palette and floral touches, but the music stretches from ’90s punk and alternative rock to contemporary pop, hip-hop and Y2K-leaning sounds. That leaves plenty of room for boho, punk and ’00s indie looks. California heat is another factor, with Los Angeles hitting the low 90s this week, so breathable pieces are key. Comfortable flats or boots make sense for grass and pavement, though a platform boot with a Stevie Nicks spirit can work. We’ve rounded up the fashion inspiration to help you build the look, including Depop’s dedicated Daisy Chain Fields festival edits spanning ’10s alt-pop, ’00s indie, ’90s punk and ’70s folk.
This fairycore pink peplum dress screams the 2010s and is breathable and lightweight for a full day in the California sun. This Depop seller is also known to ship within two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’10s Alt-pop edits.
This pre-loved rocker vest includes hand-sewn patches and studs, featuring bands like The Addicts, Anti-Flag, Lower Class Brats, The Casualties, Negative Approach and more. The seller can ship in two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’90s Punk edits.
This airy pink, floral top is just what Olivia Rodrigo expects to see on the grounds of her festival named after a flower. The seller of this pre-loved halter neck typically ships within two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’10s Alt-pop edits.
A staple in every Y2K wardrobe, this spaghetti-strap, green cami has never been worn and can be shipped within two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’00s Indie edits.
This faux fur vest is made from vegan materials and comes with a front zipper and stretchy fabric at the back. The shipper can dispatch the item in two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’00s Indie edits.
If you plan to see Garbage, The Breeders or Bikini Kill, this red and black tartan corset is for you. The seller of this pre-worn top typically ships items within three days of purchase. Shop more of Depop’s ’90s Punk edits.
A truly unique item of clothing, this Valabasas patchwork vest has the floral components for Rodrigo’s festival and the funky patterns popular in ’70s boho fashion. Get it shipped within three days of purchase from this seller. Shop more of Depop’s ’70s Folk edits.
This never-before-worn two-piece halter top and skirt is just the type of thing we’d see if we traveled back to the ’70s, and the most appropriate ‘fit to wear when seeing Stevie Nicks at the Daisy Chain Fields festival. Shop more of Depop’s ’70s Folk edits.
Speaking of the Fleetwood Mac crooner, these brown suede leather boots with wooden heels are giving major Stevie Nicks vibes from her early career in the ’70s. Since these boots have block heels, we think they’re just the right pair you can get away with wearing on the lawns of Daisy Chain Fields. Order now to guarantee shipping in two days. Shop more of Depop’s ’70s Folk edits.
Denim jorts are not going away anytime soon. These pair from Urban Outfitters come in three colors — vintage denim dark, vintage denim light and black — and can be shipped before the festival with rush or express options.
This Urban Outfitters cami features sheer mesh with sequin embellishments across the chest, a square neckline and a flowy hanky hem. Its relaxed babydoll fit and adjustable straps make it an easy, standout layer for a festival look.
This tie-dye halter dress has a burst of several colors appropriate for a floral-themed festival, and Urban Outfitters offers rush and express shipping just in time for Daisy Chain Fields.
Daisy Chain Fields is an all-women music festival created by Olivia Rodrigo to celebrate women in music while supporting and uplifting women and girls through community, education and advocacy. The name reflects Rodrigo’s vision of individual women coming together as interconnected, stronger links in a larger chain — do we think she’ll perform “The Chain” with Stevie Nicks? Oh, I hope so.
Daisy Chain Fields begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m., with 14 scheduled sets that don’t overlap (thank you, Olivia Rodrigo), across the Dandelion and Marigold stages and three special guests joining the “Vampire” singer for the closing performance.
The lineup moves through pop, indie, alternative, rock, punk, hip-hop and electronic sounds, with dedicated slots for Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Katseye, Santigold, Garbage, Bikini Kill, The Breeders, Rachel Chinouriri, Die Spitz, Eli, Not For Radio and Quiet Light. Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan and Karen O are billed as special guests, with McLachlan specifically set to sing with Rodrigo after being the first person Rodrigo called when she decided to create the festival.
Sophie Dunne is an E-Commerce Writer at Penske Media Corporation, writing across Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD, and Footwear News. Originally from Ireland and based in Los Angeles, she previously worked at Static Media as a writer and editor across all brands, covering entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, shopping, sex and relationships, travel, home and garden, tech, health and wellness, history, and food. Her bylines have appeared in Women’s Health, The List, Women.com, Islands, Grunge, WebMD, and more. Before beginning her writing career in 2019, Sophie lived in Dubai for four years working as an Emirates Cabin Crew Member. Having traveled to 71 countries with the airline, she began writing for an LA-based publication as a travel writer during her final year. Sophie has a degree in Humanities from Carlow College, St. Patrick’s (now South East Technological University) in her native Ireland. She studied English, history, philosophy, and psychology. Sophie mostly reports on entertainment merchandise and celebrity brand partnerships.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-22 03:03:432026-08-22 03:03:43What to Wear to Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival, From ’70s Boho to 2010s Alt-Pop
Drake continues to rule streaming. After being crowned Spotify’s most-streamed artist in Canada last year, the streaming service has released its Global Impact List for the first half of 2026, revealing the 50 most-played songs by Canadian artists outside of their home country. To no one’s surprise, the Toronto rapper has 40 of the 50 spots, including the top 12.
Thanks to the rapper’s historic Iceman release — which included a triple-album drop with Maid of Honour and Habibti — Drake commands a whopping 80% of the list, led by his chart-topping hit, “Janice SFTU,” which the streaming platform already tapped as one of its song-of-the-summer contenders. It’s followed by “National Treasures,” “Shabang,” “Whisper My Name” and “Ran To Atlanta,” featuring Future and Molly Santana, to round out the top 5. He wraps up the list, too, with “Rust Intro” at No. 50.
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The remaining artists on the list boast a diverse lineup of homegrown acts, spanning genres including country, indie rock, Punjabi, hip-hop and electronic.
Cameron Whitcomb is the highest-ranking act after Drake, landing at No. 13 with his viral track “Kingdom of Fear,” another track that the streaming service listed as a song-of-the-summer contender. It has become a big moment for the B.C. artist, securing his first top 3 hit on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart dated Aug. 22. Whitcomb earns a second entry on the Spotify list at No. 49 with “You and Me.”
In recent years, the growing influence of Punjabi-Canadian artists on the world stage has become a major force. While the second half of 2025’s list featured multiple tracks by Karan Aujla and Ikky, they’re passing the torch to Shubh, who claims two entries on the 2026 list. He arrives at No. 23 with “Moves” and “Bounce” at No. 35. It’s a welcome return for the Punjabi-Canadian act, who was on Spotify’s first-ever Global Impact List in 2025.
Viral act bbno$ lands at No. 41 with “diamonds are forever.” It’s been a year of transformation for the Vancouver-based artist, born Alex Gumuchian, who has found success with his independent project over the past couple of years.
At No. 43, viral Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine makes their first and only appearance on the list with “Fabienk,” arguably the group’s biggest hit from their album, Vol. II. The buzzy math rock group has made a global breakthrough with their polka-dot ensembles and unique sound.
Rounding out the list is what Spotify calls “a diverse cross-section of Canadian talent,” including: Toronto indie-rockers Good Kid with “Cicada” (No. 29), producer Murda Beatz’s Prospa-featuring track “Baby” (No. 33), Korean-Canadian rapper OXYNOVA’s “SSSAK” (No. 34) and Vancouver-based producer Asad Khan’s remix “Piya Ghar Aaya” (No. 39).
Montreal’s LASSO Festival Grows Rapidly Alongside Canada’s Country Music Scene
It’s not every day that Montreal’s public transit is filled with cowboy hats, Canadian tuxedos and Western belt buckles. Now, that’s a yearly mid-August tradition for country music lovers as LASSO celebrates its fifth edition.
The large-scale country music festival, co-produced by Evenko and Live Nation, welcomed over 43,000 fans this year on August 15 and 16. The lineup featured headliners Thomas Rhett and Mumford & Sons, along with established country acts like Carly Pearce, The Band Perry, Old Dominion and Jon Pardi and rising Canadian stars like Cameron Whitcomb, Morgan Griffiths and Noah Brigden.
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Nick Farkas, Evenko’s senior vice-president of booking, concerts and events, says it’s a rapidly growing success story that has grown faster than other major festivals like Osheaga (which he co-founded).
“Five years in, where this festival is at, for me, is just fantastic,” Farkas says. “We were not this far along on any festival we’ve ever done. It’s a ton of fun to work on it.”
The festival’s growth fits into a bigger trend of country music throughout the music landscape. Recently, the genre has surpassed hip-hop and pop as the most successful genre at the top of the charts.
This week, the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 features a rare sweep of country songs comprising the top four slots, with Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” at No. 1, Stella Lefty’s “Boston” at No. 2, Cameron Whitcomb’s “Kingdom of Fear” at No. 3 and Morgan Wallen’s “Been By Now” at No. 4.
That potential was first bubbling when LASSO began five years ago, but it was unforeseen in Canada just five years before that.
“We had one arena country show every few years,” Farkas explains. “[The scene] was non-existent, and we had no country radio, so it was not on anyone’s radar. We started seeing a shift when we booked a show with Luke Bryan in 2016 and it sold out the Bell Centre in like a day. We were like, “Holy crap, that’s, there’s something going on here with some of this newer country stuff.”
Evenko later rolled the dice with a large-scale festival, combining the rising global appeal of country music with the Quebec and Canadian scene, giving local country musicians a global stage and spotlight that didn’t previously exist in the metropolis.
This year, Lasso saw a record 30% turnout from outside Quebec, a “huge win,” per Farkas, that has cemented the festival’s nationwide and international reputation.
Read more here. — Richard Trapunski & Stefano Rebuli
Drake Celebrates the Opening of History Ottawa: ‘I Will Be There to Drop Off My Personal Touch’
History Ottawa is officially open.
The city’s newest music hub is the first expansion of the popular five-year-old Toronto music venue co-owned by Drake and Live Nation. In celebration of its public opening, the homegrown rapper took to social media to express his excitement.
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Drake hints that there could be more expansions coming while thanking Live Nation “for giving me the continued trust on a journey that I hope is shared with every city and country worldwide” and teases an in-person experience in Ottawa, revealing that he “will be there to drop off my personal touch to Ottawa soon.”
The 2,000-person venue will welcome dozens of international artists to the country’s capital, cementing the nation’s capital as a music hub outside of the bigger ones in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Artists slated to perform at the venue include: Two Door Cinema Club, Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade, Owen Riegling, Jamie Fine and Thundercat, among others.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-22 03:03:422026-08-22 03:03:42In Canada: Drake Dominates 80% of Spotify’s Global Impact List for the First Half of 2026
The chart-topping, multiple ARIA Award winners have emerged from hibernation with “Things Take Time” (via Mosy Recordings / Sony Music Australia / RCA U.K. and Arista U.S.), the alternative rock act’s first new music in four years.
Written by bandmates David Le’aupepe, Tom Hobden, Donnie Borzestowski and Jung Kim, “Things Take Time,” with its orchestral flourishes, is a mature, more mellow version of a band that cut its teeth in Sydney’s pub scene, and, by 2017, had moved into position as one of Australia’s preeminent rock bands.
“Things Take Time” is a meditation on patience, and the swings and roundabouts that are the playground of life. Of growth, decay, and regrowth. “It’s in it’s namesake, but it took a f—ing long time to make a three-minute song,” Kim tells Billboard with a laugh. “It took three years to make a three-minute song.” Then, “lightning struck” and the thunder followed as Le’aupepe reached into his bag of tricks, chords came, and the song flowed.
GoY’s third and most recent studio album, 2022’s Angel in Realtime, gave the band a second consecutive leader on the ARIA Albums Chart. The collection, which went on to win triple j’s coveted J Award for Australian album of the year, was loaded with textures and ideas on “Indigenous heritage and identity, family, god, life, death, grief, sport, forgiveness, and the Angel Islington,” Le’aupepe said at the time.
This next project is coming from a different place. “The lyrical content is quite a departure,” says Hobden. “Records of old have obviously been centered around some very, very personal topics for him. And then suddenly he’s facing an album where he doesn’t really know what the lyrical thread is. It’s a whole different approach to songwriting.”
As music took shape for this new era, Le’aupepe spent time in Hobden’s London garden studio, observing the good life flourish outside with the warmer seasons. “He was in there for many hours, many weeks, just chiseling away ideas,” Hobden explains.
Like Angel in Realtime, the next phase of GoY draws its DNA from multiple places and creative hearts. GoY produced the new single, recorded at Decoy Studios in Suffolk, east England, and engineered by Robert Sellens and Jung Kim (who also contributes guitar and keyboards).
“There’s always been an ambition to make something quite grandiose, with very grandiose ideas,” Kim explains, “and it’s reflected in very long arrangements and quite dense instrumentation. But this time around, it’s very much stripping a lot of that away for the sake of just making music that actually makes this maybe feel at ease. And at comfort.”
Those muscular recordings are “not about impressing,” Hobden assures. “It’s not about trying to be, in any way, part of the zeitgeist. In fact, that’s almost a deterrent for us. Anything that sounds vaguely of the moment is automatically a big no.”
The fresh cut features Le’aupepe on vocals and piano, Hobden on violin, Borzestowski on drums and Kim on guitar and keyboards, with additional contributions from Andrew Burgess (bass guitar), Nick Etwell (trumpet), Dave Williamson (trombone) and Klara Schumann (cello).
GoY moved to London towards the end of 2017, and continues to call the capital a second home — a move that many Aussie artists have made before them, from The Saints and Go-Betweens, to INXS, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave and others.
For GoY, that relocation coincided with the band’s rise to the very top of Australia’s rock culture, confirmation of which came when their sophomore album, Go Farther in Lightness, went to No. 1 on the national ARIA Chart, and they cleaned up at the ARIA Awards, collecting a stash that included best group and album of the year.
In London, the band could enjoy a fresh start, Le’aupepe could fly under the radar with the world on their doorstep. There are no regrets.
GoY are under new management as part of the roster of Red Light Management, where they’re handled out of the U.K. by James Sandom and Al Mills. “The breath of energy that the new management bring is really exciting,” enthuses Hobden. “They’ve got loads of great ideas.”
That energy has spilled out onto the stage for a brief run of Australian shows in August, including two dates at the iconic Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. There’s more to come. That next, fourth album, well things take time. “We’re just working away at it to be honest,” Hobden admits. “We can’t have a definitive answer or anything. The intent is very much there. Let’s put it like that.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-21 03:03:392026-08-21 03:03:39How Gang of Youths Took a ‘Whole Different Approach’ With New Era
Music IP Holdings (MIH) — an intellectual property development company formed through a strategic partnership between Universal Music Group (UMG) and Liquidax Capital — revealed on Thursday (Aug. 20) that AI music start-ups Udio and GRAI are the first two companies to license patents from its portfolio for use in developing their AI products. According to a press release, the MIH patents will specifically be used to support “the development of licensed AI services including covers, remixes and a wide range of interactive music experiences.”
So far, MIH holds and manages more than 24 patents and has over 50 patents pending, all of which provide frameworks for creating “responsible,” licensed AI content products. The press release says MIH patents can help with everything from moderation, watermarking, identification tagging, authorization, licensed distribution and payment “across open and closed ecosystems.”
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This essentially means that MIH, UMG and Liquidax Capital, an IP advisory and management firm, will receive compensation every time these patents are adopted for use in developing various AI products, opening up a potentially significant new revenue stream for the group of firms.
It is not disclosed which patents Udio and GRAI, a forthcoming “social streaming service for music,” have selected from the available offerings MIH has developed, but Udio CEO, Andrew Sanchez, calls this moment “a genuine inflection point for AI and music. With MIH, we’re partnering to implement the infrastructure that protects artists and establish the guardrails that ensure AI amplifies human creativity. That work — the technology, the licensing, the partnerships — is what makes the next chapter one artists can actually build on.”
While little is still known about GRAI, the press release described the emerging AI company as being built on “GRAI’s own music foundation model, trained on licensed data and built to understand music…Every play and every change pays the artists and songwriters behind the song.” It was quietly founded last year by the team behind video-editing app Vochi, which was acquired by Pinterest, and has raised seed funding from Khosla Ventures and Inovo VC.
“Nobody has ever been just a listener. We drum a song on the steering wheel, cry to it in a parked car, send it to a friend at one in the morning. GRAI is building a social streaming service where music moves between people. And when someone puts something of their own into a song they love, the artist is asked, credited and paid, every time. These patents are what make that possible,” said Ilya Liasun, CEO and co-founder of GRAI.
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To bring these patents to market and find licensing opportunities across technology and creative industries, MIH is supported by Barefoot Media, which is led by CEO Bill Campbell. Campbell said of the announcement: “MIH’s portfolio creates that bridge for generative AI — giving responsible innovators a path to market while helping protect artists, songwriters and the value of their work. Barefoot Media is proud to help bring this framework to the global creative and technology communities.”
Chris Horton, executive vp of strategic technology at UMG, said: “These patents are an important way to reinforce the strategy we believe will play a critical role in the next era of music: embracing ethical innovation that puts artists and songwriters at the center, with greater agency, influence and value-chain participation for the creative community. We are thrilled to join MIH, music companies, and responsible technology enterprises in building an AI music ecosystem that works for everyone, especially the creative forces that makes it all possible.”
“Artists and songwriters shouldn’t have to choose between embracing AI and protecting their lifes’ work,” added Daniel Drolet, CEO of MIH. “And responsible AI companies should have a clear path to innovate. This portfolio is designed to do both: creating new opportunities for responsible innovation while giving artists, songwriters and rightsholders stronger protections and the ability to share in the value their work creates. The portfolio was developed to enable a standard that provides creators of all types the ability to generate, track and ensure new AI revenue streams while simultaneously providing strong options to manage unauthorized AI outputs.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-08-21 03:03:382026-08-21 03:03:38Udio and GRAI Adopt UMG and Liquidax-Backed AI Music Patents
