Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 122

Flo Rida Vows He'll Return to FORBES List

Flo Rida: Ridin' his way back to the Cash Kings list.

Three years ago Flo Rida teamed up with T-Pain to extol the virtues of girls who wear Apple Bottom jeans and the boots with the fur, riding the song's success to a banner year and a spot on FORBES' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. This past year, he wasn't among rap's top earners–but promises a return in 2011.

"I look forward to being back on the list," Flo told me in a recent phone interview.

The Florida-based rapper should be in line to make at l...

Musicians to Watch in 2011

Bieber Fever. Too bad "Pomplamoose Fever" doesn't have the same ring to it.

What do Justin Bieber, the Zac Brown Band, Bruno Mars and Pomplamoose have in common? They're all in position to make scads of money in the coming year.

More specifically, they're four of the artists you'll find in my story 11 Musicians to Watch in 2011, culled from an informal poll of industry insiders including record label employees, attorneys and media buyers. The list includes artists from all ends of the...

Jay-Z's 40/40 Clubs Ready For Takeoff?

Jay-Z, reintroducing himself.

Earlier this week Jay-Z and his business partners inked a deal with food service provider Delaware North to bring the rapper's 40/40 Club to more than 20 U.S. airports. But don't be surprised if there are a few delays before takeoff, if history is any indication.

Jay-Z founded the first 40/40 Club sports bar and lounge in Manhattan seven years ago with partners Juan and Desiree Perez. Named after the elite group of major league baseball players who've stolen 40 b...

Kardashian Kard Goes Kaput

A Krying Shame.

Maybe the Kardashians should do a better job of keeping up with the products they endorse.

Earlier today, an attorney for the sisters reportedly sent a letter to the parties with whom they'd teamed to launch the Kardashian Kard just three weeks ago — and demanded that the images and names of Khloe, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian be removed from the offending Kard immediately. As of this evening the Kard's website, www.kardashiankard.com, appears to have blinked out of existence.

Should Have Listened to Gerald Celente, Mr. T

Mr. T is stocking up on gold...and Snickers bars.

In March 2009 I co-wrote a piece in FORBES magazine called Doomsday Investing. Penned in the depths of The Great Recession, the story offered a few ways investors might make money if the dire downturn were to continue: sin stocks, Swiss francs and gold. But, I warned, limit the extreme defensive plays to 10% of your portfolio.

For that story I interviewed a woman named Laura Martin who works for Gerald Celente, the ultra-bearish publisher of...

A Retirement Even MC Hammer Could Afford

Hammer wouldn't need a fur coat in Florida.

MC Hammer famously blew through $30 million in a matter of months, falling from the heights of financial success into bankruptcy by the mid-1990s. These days he's more punchline than superstar; the only press Hammer has gotten lately stems from a bizarre video that ends with him performing a mock-baptism of a faux Jay-Z.

Like many Americans, MC Hammer doesn't have the nest egg he once thought he would. But in the recently-released Forbes Investment...

Names You Need to Know for 2011: Drake

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If you haven't heard of Drake, you will sooner or later.

This post is part of an ambitious project to crowd-source the December issue of Forbes Magazine. Click here to submit your own ideas for "Names You Need to Know in 2011."

For years Sean "Diddy" Combs has been hip-hop's face in Times...

Jay-Z's Decoded Vs. Rap Genius

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Jay-Z's "Decoded" doesn't decode much. Just sayin.

Jay-Z's long-awaited book Decoded hits stores today and he's been hitting the interview circuit from NPR to Sirius XM, Howard Stern to Charlie Rose. But unfortunately for fans hoping to learn something new about the world's richest rapper, the book leaves...

Flashback: Dr. Ruth on Music and Sex

Dr. Ruth is not aroused by Bolero.

I wrote this story years ago for my college newspaper, based on an interview with Dr. Ruth Westheimer (who has since written a few pieces for FORBES herself). Enjoy.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer counts sex and music among her favorite things — but not when they are happening at the same time.

"Music during sex? Absolutely no!" says Westheimer. "People should use their brain to concentrate on being with a loved one, and they don't need to be distracted by...

Can Public School Music Programs Survive the Tea Party?

Budget cuts are, as Natasha Bedingfield might say, unwritten. That could change.

As a child, Natasha Bedingfield went to a small community school in a rough area of East London. Fortunately, she had plenty of access to musical instruments and instruction, and today she's an international pop star on the verge of releasing her third album.

"You can find trouble everywhere," she says. "I feel like music was a way that I could channel frustration and energy. I had teachers who made it very...