Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 116

Bruno Mars Reveals His Road To Fame (Video Interview)

Bruno Mars: Finally in FORBES magazine.

Bruno Mars didn't make the cover of FORBES magazine in our latest Celeb 100 issue, but he's getting closer. He's the subject of a three-page feature, which you can also read online, and there's no doubt that he's one of the brightest stars rising in the entertainment world.

The man who wants to be a billionaire (so friggin' bad) sat down with me at the photo shoot for our magazine story and revealed his inspiration for the song "Billionaire," talked...

Jay-Z Earns More Than Beyonce For First Time Since 2008

No Joke: Jay-Z made more than Beyoncé this year.

For the first time since tying the knot in 2008, Jay-Z earned more than Beyoncé. The Brooklyn-born rapper raked in $37 million over the past 12 months, edging his superstar wife by $2 million, according to FORBES' latest estimates for the annual Celeb 100 package.

Jay-Z continues to reap the rewards of his 10-year, $150 million multiple rights deal with concert promoter Live Nation; he brings in additional cash from endorsements and ownership s...

Jay-Z Earns More Than Beyoncé For First Time Since 2008

No Joke: Jay-Z made more than Beyoncé this year.

For the first time since tying the knot in 2008, Jay-Z earned more than Beyoncé. The Brooklyn-born rapper raked in $37 million over the past 12 months, edging his superstar wife by $2 million, according to FORBES' latest estimates for the annual Celeb 100 package.

Jay-Z continues to reap the rewards of his 10-year, $150 million multiple rights deal with concert promoter Live Nation; he brings in additional cash from endorsements and ownership s...

Lady Gaga, Oprah, Justin Bieber Top FORBES' Celeb 100

Lady Gaga: Queen Monster takes Queen of Daytime's Celeb 100 crown.

Three years ago, Lady Gaga was a 22-year-old underground burlesque rocker and Justin Bieber was a little-known 14-year-old YouTube crooner. Today, the two whippersnappers–who raked in $90 million and $53 million over the past 12 months, respectively–join Oprah Winfrey atop FORBES' Celeb 100 list, an annual ranking of the world's most powerful stars. The rankings are based on a combination of earnings, press and social media r...

Why Eminem Isn't Getting Money From The Universal Suit (Yet)

Eminem: Waiting for green.

For many years, Notorious BIG and MC Hammer were the only rappers to hold the RIAA's prestigious diamond certification (signifying 10 million units sold in the U.S.) for an individual album. In March, Eminem accomplished that feat—twice—with the certification of The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show. Selling 20 million copies over two albums is a spectacular accomplishment, but perhaps even more significant is the fact that both debuted in the pre-iTunes...

Sarah Palin, Bill O'Reilly, Jon Stewart And Common Decency

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The "vile" rapper Common.

I almost fell out of my chair when a colleague asked me if I was planning to write anything about the "gangsta rapper" who'd been invited to the White House. It was around then that I figured I probably didn't have a...

Billionaire Len Blavatnik Buys Warner Music Group For $3.3 Billion

Len Blavatnik, music man.

Yesterday FORBES and other news outlets reported that billionaire Len Blavatnik's Access Industries was on the verge of purchasing Warner Music Group. Earlier today the two sides announced the deal: a $3.3 billion all-cash buyout of the world's third-largest music company, whose artists include Green Day, Metallica and Bruno Mars.

Blavatnik's company will pay $8.25 per share for publicly-traded Warner, a 34.4% premium over the stock's six-month average price. The...

Blavatnik Close To Winning Billionaire Battle For Warner Music

Warner Music Group: Going, going...

Russian-American industrialist Len Blavatnik is reportedly on the verge of acquiring Warner Music Group for $3 billion, an appropriate fate for a record company that's home to Bruno Mars and Travie McCoy, the artists behind the hit song "Billionaire."

Blavatnik's fortune stands at $10.1 billion; a sale to his company, Access Industries, would mark the end of a long battle between billionaire suitors. Insiders believe that his bid might only be topped by a l...

A History Of Southern Hip-Hop, From Lil Wayne To Gucci Mane

Ben Westhoff's "Dirty South."

Toward the end of Ben Westhoff's new book, Dirty South, we are introduced to the inimitable Lil Wayne, who promptly launches into an explanation of the many designs that cover his diminutive frame. "I think the tattoos intimidate [people] and show them they'd better not walk up to me," he announces. "Because I'll knock your f*cking head off."

Westhoff populates his book with a multitude of such punchy nuggets as he chronicles the rise and relevance of southern...

Lady Gaga's Potentially Meaty Tax Deduction

Lady Gaga: Nice to meat you.

Last September, Lady Gaga caused quite a stir by showing up to the MTV Video Music Awards in a dress made entirely of meat. The episode set the blogosphere ablaze, earning Gaga admiration from the avant garde and scorn from vegetarians and other opponents of wretched excess.

Strangely enough, the meat dress and other costumes may end up saving Gaga some cash–in the form of a tax deduction. According to the IRS, "musicians and entertainers can deduct the cost of...