Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 21

‘Black Panther’ Boosts Hip-Hop Where The Grammys Couldn’t (Or Wouldn’t)

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Marcus Williams, Erik Gordon, Fahamu Pecou, Janee Bolden, Terri J. Vaughn, Lisa Cunningham, and Chaka Zulu onstage during the ‘Black Panther’ Advanced Screening & Panel Discussion presented by Brisk at SCADshow on February 14, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Of all the recurring people, places and things in the newly-released blockbuster Black Panther, Kendrick Lamar and his brand of hip-hop trail perhaps only vibranium—the fict...

Lovebug Starski, Co-Inventor Of The Term ‘Hip-Hop,’ Dead At Age 57

Hip-Hop Original: Lovebug Starski during Magic Convention – Phat Farm Party at Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Lovebug Starski may not have been the most famous name in hip-hop, but perhaps more than anyone else, he deserves credit for giving hip-hop its name. The Bronx-born DJ and rapper, who passed away yesterday in Las Vegas due to a heart attack, coined the term with the help of Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (Cowboy died in 1989).

“I would ju...

How Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl Prince Differed From A Hologram

Purple Reign: Prince is projected on a giant screen as Justin Timberlake performs onstage during the Super Bowl LII Halftime Show. (Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance was ultimately a lesson in playing it safe — no animatronic lion like Katy Perry, no flying in from the roof of the stadium like Lady Gaga — likely a reaction to the wardrobe malfunction that eternally branded his first appearance on music’s biggest stage in 2004. A...

Why Justin Timberlake Won’t Get Paid For His Super Bowl Halftime Gig (Again)

Justin Timberlake speaks during the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show press conference February 1, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Justin Timberlake’s first Super Bowl Halftime Show performance 14 years ago will always be remembered for the infamous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction”–which inspired, among other things, a record number of FCC complaints and the creation of YouTube.

Neither Timberlake nor Jackson were paid for their efforts, but it...

For Women In Music, Grammy Debacle Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

Lorde, the only female nominee for Record of the Year, performed in New York last week–but not at the Grammys. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony last Sunday, guests were encouraged to wear white roses in solidarity with the #MeToo movement–a gesture perhaps also intended to cast the music world as an industry that succeeded in supporting women where others, like Hollywood, hadn’t. That notion wilted quicker than the blooms on so many lapels, as G...

Supersonic Startups: The Techstars Music Class Of 2018 Unveiled

Techstars Music: Inside the incubator’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Last year, in a world that saw the release of the $999 iPhone X, one of the most talked-about devices in music circles was the Mighty, an $85 streaming player about the size of a half dollar coin. The tiny dynamo earned a slew of press coverage, and now, perhaps something even more valuable: a spot in the Techstars Music Class of 2018.

This year’s group consists of 10 startups–revealed here exclusively by Forbes–and spans a wid...

Why The Grammys Were An Epic Hip-Hop Bust Despite Kendrick Lamar’s Wins

Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for Best Rap Album during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS)

The 60th annual Grammy Awards ceremony was supposed to be the one where hip-hop finally got its due. The genre, now officially enshrined as America’s most-consumed, found itself atop the list of nominations–Jay-Z with eight, Kendrick Lamar with seven. Up-and-comers like Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert also garnered looks from the Recording...

Bruno Mars Goes Six-For-Six To Become 60th Grammys’ Surprise Big Winner

Bruno Mars accepts the award for Album of the Year during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NARAS)

You might call Bruno Mars a streaky Grammy winner. After earning golden gramophones for just two of his first nineteen nominations, he won all three of his nods in 2016 and 2017–before going a perfect six-for-six at tonight’s 60th annual ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Mars quickly took home three Grammys in the early go...

For Jay-Z, A Grammy Shutout And A National Victory All In One Day

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter acknowledges his Industry Icon award during the Clive Davis party on the eve of the 60th annual Grammy Awards. (Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

Jay-Z went into the 60th annual Grammy Awards with a field-leading eight nominations and came away with precisely zero golden gramophones. Yet, in typical fashion, he’s emerged from seeming adversity a winner.

Even as Kendrick Lamar topped Jay-Z in myriad categories (Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap A...

For Jay-Z, A Grammy Shutout–And A National Victory–All In One Day

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter acknowledges his Industry Icon award during the Clive Davis party on the eve of the 60th annual Grammy Awards. (Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

Jay-Z went into the 60th annual Grammy Awards with a field-leading eight nominations and came away with precisely zero golden gramophones. Yet, in typical fashion, he’s emerged from seeming adversity a winner.

Even as Kendrick Lamar topped Jay-Z in myriad categories (Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap A...