Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 97

The World’s Highest-Paid DJs

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Every so often, the tectonic plates of mainstream musical taste shift. In the 1960s, there was the British Invasion, followed by disco in the 1970s and the rise of glam metal in the 1980s. The 1990s saw the advent of grunge and the resurgence of boy bands, followed by hip-hop’s hegemony in the 2000s. Now, the tables are turning again.

Electronic dance music, better known as EDM, has finally surged from its underground roots an...

Stamped Collection: Startup Adds DeGeneres, Seacrest As Investors

Stamp Collection: Ellen DeGeneres and Ryan Seacrest are among the startup's new investors.

The Stamped headquarters could belong to just about any startup—the only identifying mark on its battered beige door is a Post-It note that reads, “Stamped, Inc. #10B”; inside the Union Square loft, caffeinated coders clatter away on Mac laptops. The company’s roster of investors, however, is anything but ordinary.

Today, the social curation startup announced a new round of financing that includes contrib...

Ten Possible ‘American Idol’ Replacements For J-Lo and Steven Tyler

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Click for full photo gallery: Ten Possible 'American Idol' Replacements for J-Lo and Steven Tyler

Kanye Westhas had his share of controversial moments on national television. During a Hurricane Katrina relief telethon in 2006, he famously proclaimed that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Three years later he interrupted Taylor Swift in the middle of an acceptance speech at the VMAs, earning the scorn of multitudes.

But despite his track record, there are...

Why Steven Tyler’s ‘American Idol’ Exit Will Boost His Earnings

Steven Tyler: His 'American Idol' gig is up, but he'll keep rocking on the road with Aerosmith.

Earlier today Jennifer Lopez declared she wouldn’t be returning for another season of American Idol, much to the disappointment of those who’d grown fond of seeing the singer on national television. But her move might not even be the most high-profile exit of the week forthe show:Steven Tyler announced yesterday that he’d be leaving Idol.

“After some long, hard thoughts, I’ve decided it’s time for me...

Mark Teixeira Gets A Silicon Alley Hit With SportsYapper

Startup Hitter: The Yankees' Mark Teixeira.

New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira started using Twitter about a year ago, and he’s already accumulated 179,000 followers. But while tweeting away during a college football game between Florida State and Georgia Tech, his alma mater, he discovered that not everyone wanted to hear all his ruminations.

“People were writing back, ‘Who cares about Georgia Tech,’ ‘Go Florida State,’ ‘Stick to the Yankees!’” he recalls over iced tea at the Grand C...

Album Sales Dip But Overall Music Sales Grow, Says Nielsen SoundScan

Dissecting the CD: Album sales are down so far in 2011.

Back in January, the news seemed almost too good to be true for U.S. album sales.

For the first time in nearly a decade, there was some growth. It was a modest improvement, to be sure–album sales ticked up from 326.15 million in 2010 to330.57 million units in 2011, a mere1.4% gain. Yet it was a gain nonetheless, and especially impressive when compared to the 13% dip in total album sales from 2009-2010.

But the numbers have hit a sour note,...

How Sony Helped LL Cool J Become A Tech Entrepreneur

LL Cool J: The latest celebrity tech entrepreneur.

Don’t call it a comeback.

Standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling glass window at the top of Sony’s New York headquarters, LL Cool J is rapping again. His words aren’t rhyming, necessarily, but his cadence and vigor could have been pulled directly from “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

He’s talking about his latest venture—a company called Boomdizzle, whose flagship product, My Connect Studio, allows artists and producers to digitally record, edit and...

Jacksons Rock The Apollo As Comeback Tour Rolls On

The Jacksons: Showtime at the Apollo.

Last night in front of Harlem’s Apollo Theater, the only thing thicker than the steamy summer air was the sense of anticipation.

Michael Jackson impersonators pranced across the sidewalk as street vendors proffered glossy photo albums of the brothers, all while camera crews from the major networks looked on. Inside, the surviving members of the Jackson 5—Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Jackie—prepared to take the stage.

“We wanted to do the Apollo because this wa...

The $46 Billion Band: Warren Buffett And Jon Bon Jovi, Live At Forbes

Buffett And Bon Jovi: The $46 Billion Band.

It’s not often that one has a chance to ask Bill Gates what he thinks of a particular musical act. It’s even rarer when the band in question is comprised of Warren Buffett and Jon Bon Jovi.

But that’s exactly what happened at last night’s Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit after-dinner reception. After sampling an array of delicious desserts in the Forbes Galleries, the crowd–which included billionaires Gates, Sean Parker, Sara Blakely and others–gathered...

Why I Wrote An Unauthorized Biography Of Jay-Z: Part II

Empire State of Mind: Paperback released by Penguin/Portfolio on June 26th, 2012.

I almost deleted my first book long before I ever wrote it. Allow me to explain.

Three years ago I found myself at home on a steamy summer day, contending with a head cold as I sifted through a virtual mountain of unread email. As my finger descended upon the delete key to banish yet another message, I re-read the subject line, “Book Project Opportunity.” The email turned out to be from an editor at Penguin, askin...