Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 118

The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists

Diddy and Jay-Z: Money Talks.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has had quite a career thus far. Since debuting in 1996 with hip-hop classic Reasonable Doubt, he has sold over 50 million records worldwide. He's parlayed his musical success into lucrative businesses in the realms of fashion, cuisine and advertising (for more, check out my new Jay-Z book, which hits stores next week). Last year he earned $63 million, tops among hip-hop artists for the third time in four years.

But when it comes to net...

The Case for Vinyl: Why LPs Will Outlast CDs

Compact Disc-o Demolition: The staying power of vinyl.

A few months ago I schlepped over to Manhattan's far West Side to catch bird-obsessed electronic duo Ratatat at Terminal 5. Between dodging unexpected hordes of tweens and watching seizure-inducing videos featuring similar quantities of white budgies, I wandered over to the merch table and noticed that opening act, Dom (named after the lead singer, who won't reveal his last name because he "owes a lot of money"), wasn't selling CDs. The ...

Justin Bieber: Business or Businessman?

Justin Bieber: None of Jay-Z's business.

Ten minutes after Esperanza Spalding upset Justin Bieber to win the Best New Artist Grammy, I went to the men's room at the press area of the Staples Center. Moments later the door opened and I heard someone singing. It was Bieber. He kept singing, even after parking himself at a urinal. Not wanting to stoop to bathroom-lingering to get a quote, I washed my hands and walked out. As the door closed behind me, I could still hear the muddled strains of a...

James Franco, Anne Hathaway, and the Convergence of Oscar and Grammy

Oscar: Still under construction.

If anybody needed more proof that the planners of the Academy Awards were trying to a draw a younger television audience, they received it at the very beginning of tonight's ceremony.

After James Franco and Anne Hathaway kicked off the show with a short video parody of this year's nominees that seemed a cross between Inception and those ubiquitous Coors Light commercials, Franco told Hathaway she was looking pretty and hip.

"Thanks James," she replied. "You...

Carmelo Anthony's Impact on Jay-Z's Net Worth

Jay-Z and the Nets don't have much to clap about following Carmelo Anthony's trade to the Knicks.

When Carmelo Anthony suits up for his first game as a Knick tonight, there will be a thick soup of euphoria in the air. There will be cheers, laughter and maybe even a few tears of joy. Because for the first time in a decade, New York basketball fans have a championship-caliber team to root for, helmed by two name-brand superstars.

But for Brooklyn native and Nets co-owner Jay-Z, the focus will b...

Bruno Mars Reveals Inspiration Behind "Billionaire"

Bruno Mars: Plenty to sing about.

It's the eve of the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, and if 25-year-old Bruno Mars is nervous about his seven nominations and impending performance, you'd never know.

At his manager's house in Hollywood Hills, he chats casually by the pool with a television reporter from his native Hawaii ("After Obama," she'd later gush to me, "it's Bruno.") Then it's on to a meet-and-greet with Forbes. The premise: we'll briefly discuss the song "Billionaire" – which features...

Who Is Esperanza Spalding?

Esperanza Spalding with her first Grammy.

In the days leading up to Sunday night's Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, there were plenty of categories in which no clear favorite had emerged. One of the few exceptions was Best New Artist, with Justin Bieber the heavy favorite.

As presenters Jewel and John Legend took the stage, dozens of fingers hovered computers in the press box, poised to publish stories of Bieber's latest conquest and first Grammy Award. But when the winner ...

Grammy Bounce: The Financial Aftermath of an Award

Rico Love worked on Usher's Grammy-winning album, Confessions.

Just a few years ago, Rico Love was sleeping on his friends' couches. Now he's living the good life, working as a trusted songwriter for a multitude of stars from T.I. to Beyoncé.

What a difference a Grammy makes.

"That's when you can demand fees," says Love, who has worked on a number of Grammy-winning albums. "When you put that next to your name, it makes it a lot easier to get a [songwriting] gig."

The musicians who won Sunday...

Black Keys Totally Didn't Expect to Win Grammys

The Black Keys: Not Mad at LeBron.

There's a bit of a delay between when tonight's Grammy-winning artists receive their awards onstage and when they drop by the print press room in the bowels of the Staples Center to give post-game interviews.

But when the Black Keys walked in an hour or two after winning for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance for a Duo or Group, they still seemed to be in shock.

"We never even expected to be invited after we were nominated," said Patrick C...

Esperanza Spalding Upsets Justin Bieber for Best New Artist Grammy

Esperanza Spalding upsets Justin Bieber for Best New Artist Grammy.

Esperanza Spalding has just won the Grammy for Best New Artist, upsetting the heavy favorite, Justin Bieber.

It's been a weekend of firsts for Bieber — the premiere of his first movie, Never Say Never; his first Grammy performance; perhaps the first suggestion that he wears a wig, courtesy of David Letterman. But he won't be getting his first Grammy.

Esperanza Spalding's victory was the longest shot to win the Best New Artist ...