It looks like Samsung wants a piece of TIDAL. The electronics giant has reportedly reopened talks surrounding an acquisition of Jay Z’s streaming service, according to the New York Post. “Samsung is re-engaging; they are working on something really big, and they’re keeping it very quiet in case it leaks,” a source told the paper.
However, Samsung has remained mum on the situation. “It is our policy to not comment on rumors or speculation,” a Samsung spokesperson said.
Despite who acquires or works with TIDAL, a change might actually work well for the streaming service. Although it’s recently enjoyed success thanks to two major exclusives, RiRi’s ANTI and Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo (which reportedly more than doubled subscriptions), the company is still facing “pressure,” according to an insider.
“TIDAL certainly needs a new home to stay alive,” a source added. The streaming service is currently valued at $100 million, according to the Post. Hov and his team acquired the company from Aspiro in 2015 for $56 million.
Just in time for "Black History Month"....UPTOWN is excited to share their latest cover and cover story, “Bold and Black on The Great White Way,” featuring the fabulous women of Broadway’s new, history-making play Eclipsed: Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah, and Saycon Sengbloh. “We strive to tell rich, vibrant and culturally-nuanced stories at UPTOWN, which is why I chose to feature Eclipsed and these beautiful and talented women, all of whom are of African descent, on our cover,” says UPTOWN Editor in Chief Isoul H. Harris.
“There is a gross lack of representation of people of color in all aspects of storytelling in Hollywood, as we are witnessing right now with 2016 being the second year in a row that no actors of color were nominated for an Academy Award. However, across the country on the so-called Great White Way, there is this phenomenal play, and the first written by, directed by, produced by and starring Black women. Eclipsed is a superb model of diversity that will hopefully serve as a catalyst for the needed change in Hollywood, Broadway and beyond. It was important for me to showcase this on the pages of UPTOWN.”
The legendary production for colored girls debuted on Broadway in 1976 with an all-black female cast and a black female writer, but it had a male director. Eclipsed is directed by Liesl Tommy, native of Cape Town, South Africa. “Traditionally, there is a male director attached to a project like this,” says Tommy. “In order to affect change both here and in Hollywood, we need to recognize our ability to lead, have a vision and be entrusted with big budgets and large staffs.”
Penned by Gurira (The Walking Dead) and produced by Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones-Harvey, LaLa Anthony and Marvet Britto—amongst an amazing group of others producers—Eclipsed exposes audiences to a remarkable story never told before: of five extraordinary women brought together by upheaval in their war-torn homeland of Liberia. They forge a close-knit bond during the devastating despair and severe brutality of the African nation’s second civil war. “Stephen and Alia are trailblazers,” says Harris. “As Broadway’s only two black, full-time producers, they have been integral in bringing black actors, black stories and black audiences to Broadway and London’s West End. They can green light their own productions. It was important for me to present their story as well.”
The significance of Eclipsed attracted LaLa Anthony to the play. “Lupita Nyong’o and the entire cast are unbelievable,” says Anthony, a first-time Broadway producer. “I wanted to align myself with a project that was powerful and sparked meaningful conversation across the board. I think it’s amazing, necessary and important for Broadway to continue to support multicultural plays for audiences to enjoy.”
Lupita Nyong’o on being drawn to Eclipsed:
“I was first cast as the understudy in the role I’m playing now so it was the very first role I under-studied and it was the very first role that I was assigned to at Yale. I was just drawn. I thought it was an incredibly engaging and riveting story and I was just dumbfounded that I never experienced anything like it before — five African women telling their stories and each of the women are so distinct from the other one. And it was so funny and also heart-breaking at times. It was just a very powerful story.”
It’s official. After rumors about his involvement, Kendrick Lamar will induct N.W.A into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 31st induction ceremony.
Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, Bert Berns, and Steve Miller will also be inducted into the Rock Hall during the April 8 event, which is slated to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Kendrick has been vocal about N.W.A’s influence in the past. In August, the Grammy-winning rapper interviewed the crew’s remaining members for Billboard. “Anything that I do, at all, has come from what y’all done,” he told Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. K-Dot also has professional ties to the crew. He’s currently signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, Interscope Records, and Dr. Dre’s Aftermath imprint. With this honor, N.W.A joins a list of past Rock Hall inductees that includes Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.
It girl and song of the moment...Singer Rihanna treated her fans to 2 music videos in 1. The 28-year-old Island girl released the new music video for her single “Work” off her album, Anti, today. Rihanna and Drake double your pleasure in the video for #WORK
The video features the singer grinding on her buddy Drake in a smoke-filled restaurant while a motley crew of dancers twerk around them. The chemistry is undeniable with these two.
Rant couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were spotted shopping at high end baby boutique Bel Bambini in Beverly Hills, CA. on Sunday. The couple was reportedly so disturbed by rumors about their 3-month-old son, Saint West, that they hastily published a photo of the infant to dispel the rumors.
Still, insiders whisper that all is not well in the Kris Jenner household where Kim resides with her 2 children. Kim and Kanye are rarely seen out & about with their newborn son — not even accompanied by a nanny. By contrast, the couple was seen everywhere with their daughter 2-year-old daughter North West after she was born in 2015. A source close to the Kardashian camp says Kim is depressed over her struggle to lose her baby fat.
'You have been my guardian angel!' Kim Kardashian releases first picture of baby Saint to mark late father Robert Kardashian's 72nd birthday
Kim previously teased fans by sharing a photo of Saint's hand clutching the finger of his big sister North, two.
