Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 107

Jay-Z And Beyonce's Baby Makes Recording Debut — What's Next?

Music Money Roundup: Rising Album Sales, Strong Concert Revenues And More

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Click for full photo gallery: The World's 25 Highest-Paid Musicians

The eggnog has been consumed, the ball has dropped, and the last of the tinsel has been cleaned up — which means a flurry of activity in the music industry as artists, executives and entrepreneurs settle into the new year. Here are a few of the more interesting stories in the music industry this week.

Album Sales: Has The Music Industry Turned The Corner?

It's been a terrible decade for the music business, ...

Live Music In 2011: Revenues Up, Attendance Down

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Click for full photo gallery: U2 In Concert

After a decade of decline, the music industry might be in the midst of a key change. Earlier this week, Nielsen SoundScan's annual music industry report revealed an uptick in total album sales for the first time in seven years. And now, new data from Pollstar has provided some good news on the live music side.

Released late last night, the report showed that the top 50 global tours grossed 3.7% more than last year; the top 100 N...

Is The Music Business Finally Rebounding? New Numbers Say Yes.

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Click for full photo gallery: 30 Under 30: Music

Every January, Nielsen SoundScan releases an annual report on the music business for the prior year, and every year in recent memory, the numbers have sung the same sad song: overall music sales are down, again, as piracy and other factors chip away at the industry's sales numbers.

This year, however, there's a glimmer of hope. For the first time since 2004, overall music sales are up. It's an incremental...

The Easiest Way To Guarantee A 5% Return in 2012

Should you pay off your mortgage in full?

For risk-averse investors seeking surefire returns in what could be another rocky year, the pickings are about as plentiful as a buffet in the wake of a football team lunch. Ten-year treasuries currently yield less than 2%, while five-years are below 1%—about what you'd get for parking cash in an online bank account.

But there's an often-overlooked option that guarantees a much higher return in 2012: paying off your mortgage early. Most home loans...

Cash Kings 2007-2011: Hip-Hop's Top Earners

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Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2007-2011

In 2007 FORBES released the first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, an annual accounting of hip-hop's top earners. The top three on the list—Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Diddy—created a song called "I Get Money (The Forbes 1-2-3 Remix)" to mark the occasion.

Five years later, the same trio has amassed the most cash in the past half-decade. Jay-Z leads the pack with $251 million, thanks largely to a bevy of deals including a ...

Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2007-2011

see photosAFP/Getty Images

Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2007-2011

In 2007 FORBES released the first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, an annual accounting of hip-hop's top earners. The top three on the list—Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Diddy—created a song called "I Get Money (The Forbes 1-2-3 Remix)" to mark the occasion.

Five years later, the same trio has amassed the most cash in the past half-decade. Jay-Z leads the pack with $251 million, thanks largely to a bevy of deals including a ...

The Best Jewish Rappers of All Time

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Click for full photo gallery: The Best Jewish Rappers Of All Time

In the second iteration of his famous "Hanukkah Song," Adam Sandler delivers a line that, while amusing, isn't a surprise to most. "Guess who gives and receives loads of Hanukkah toys?" he sings. "The girls from Veruca Salt—and all three Beastie Boys!"

The Brooklyn-bred trio is widely considered to be the best Jewish hip-hop act of all time; indeed, Adam "MCA" Yauch, Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz ...

30 Under 30 In Music: Honorable Mentions

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Click for full photo gallery: 30 Under 30: Music

On Monday, FORBES launched its first-ever 30 Under 30 package to chronicle the brightest young stars in a dozen different industries–including the music business. That category included international superstars like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, up-and-comers like rapper Mac Miller and the members of indie duo Pomplamoose, and relative unknowns like jazz musician Esperanza Spalding and classical prodigy

Mac Miller: Indie Music's Savior?

19-year-old Mac Miller in the Forbes Galleries.

At first glance, Mac Miller would appear unlikely to have a secret interest in art conservation. The 19-year-old rapper slouches into the Forbes Galleries sporting a pair of camouflage pants, a backwards baseball cap and what seems to be a week's worth of facial hair. Upon noticing the Salvador Dali painting on the wall by the door, though, he suddenly snaps into curator mode.

"This is an original Salvador Dali painting? Who uses this room? Wait, ...