Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 74

SXSW Music Preview: What Do You Want To Read About?

It’s that time of year again–that liminal stage between the end of the snowstorms in the Northeast and the beginning of baseball season–when the entire media and music world seemingly throws up its hands and relocates to Austin, Texas for two weeks.

If the Grammys put a cap on the year that was in music, South By Southwest is in some ways the event that marks the unofficial beginning of the next one. And indeed, the emphasis is always on what’s next, part of the reason SXSW’s music festival ha...

Warren Buffett Is Still Bullish On Rail–And Keystone

see photosMichael Prince

Click for full photo gallery: Warren Buffett

The Oracle of Omaha has spoken–and he’s as bullish as ever on the rail industry. He explained why inaninterviewwith CNBC, released this morning.

“It’s a business that has real economic advantages,” Buffett said. “If you look at fuel costs, drivers’ wages on the highway–as long as more goods move from place to place in this country, rails are going to get their share, and it should be a very profitable business.”

Buffett should...

Lyor Cohen’s 300 And The Dawn Of The Moneyball Record Label

From beneath the brim of a black Oakland Raiders cap, rapper Raz Simone is making the most of what might be the biggest moment of his young career. He’s excitedly addressing two dozen reporters and executives who’ve crammed into the small, wood-paneled room at Terminus Studios in midtown Manhattan, explaining the work that went intoCognitive Dissonance, the album he’s set to release on March 6th.

The audience includes Simone’s new bosses—Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles and Todd Moscowitz—whose resumes...

Hip-Hop Cash Princes: Aftermath & Analysis

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Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Princes 2014

Last week, FORBES released its first-ever Hip-Hop Cash Princes list–ten names who we think will make the Hip-Hop Cash Kings in the near future–and the feedback is still rolling in.

Though there hasn’t been a remix inspired by the package (as there was, thanks to Diddy, Jay Z and 50 Cent, for the first-ever Cash Kings list), there’s been plenty of chatter from the artists themselves.

“I don’t even hav...

50 Cent Explains How He Left Interscope, Debuts ‘Funeral’ Video

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson spent much of his early life yearning for a record deal with one of the major labels. After a run with Universal-backed Interscope that began in 2003 and saw him sell over 30 million albums, he’s spent much of the past few years itching to leave.

Yesterday, he got his wish: he’s departing the label that launched his career to forge ahead as an independent artist. He has signed a worldwide distribution deal with Caroline/Capitol/UMG for G-Unit Records and his own releas...

50 Cent Leaves Interscope, Takes G-Unit Records Independent

see photosSpencer Lowell

Click for full photo gallery: All Access: 50 Cent's Wheels

50 Cent is leaving Interscope, the Universal-backed label that launched him into superstardom, and will take his G-Unit Records independent. The Queens-born rapper has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Caroline/Capitol/UMG, paving the way for the release of new album Animal Ambitionon June 3rd.

The deal, announced through a press release from the label, marks the end of a period of uncertainty over w...

Hip-Hop Cash Princes 2014: The Ten Most Promising Acts

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Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Princes 2014

Seven years ago, FORBES released its inaugural Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, the first-ever ranking of the genre’s top earners. The package prompted Jay Z, 50 Cent and Diddy, who occupied the first three slots, to record “I Get Money (The Forbes 1-2-3 Billion-Dollar Remix).” As Diddy observed, there was “a lot of money on this record.”

The aforementioned triumvirate now lives up to its ten-figure moniker...

J. Cole: A Music Mogul In The Making

see photosGregory Payan/AP Images for NFL

Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Princes 2014

Three years ago, when J. Cole was filming the video for the song “Party” with Beyoncé, he had an awkward moment with a Bugatti.

The appearance of the multimillion-dollar sports car featured in the shoot prompted Beyoncé to say, “I want one of these.” Cole wasn’t quite sure how to respond. As he noted on his track, “Villuminati,” the vehicle’s cost exceeded his own net worth at the time.

“What do you...

Tyga: Cash Money’s Next Cash King?

Pop quiz—which Young Money/Cash Money artist has a clothing line, a watch line, and a shoe deal with Reebok? A hint: his last two albums reached the top of the hip-hop charts.

The answer isn’t Drake, or Lil Wayne, or even label boss Birdman. It’s 24-year-old Los Angeles native Tyga. Born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, he chose his nom-de-rap as an acronym for “Thank You God Always.”

Today, he’s a member of FORBES’ inaugural class of Hip-Hop Cash Princes— the ten rap acts with the best chance of...

An Eco-Friendly Startup That Pharrell Would Approve Of

Last week FORBES coveredthe latest venture by superproducer Pharrell Williams—an agreement with G-Star Raw to produce a clothing line made partially from recycled ocean plastic.

The star had been looking for cause like the fashion line, dubbed Raw For Raw For The Oceans, ever since his work at a Live Earth concert many years ago.

“I said to myself, ‘Maybe there’s something I could do, let me find something that makes sense for me,’” he explainedlast weekend. “[Raw For The Oceans] was an interes...