Entertainment

In a new Rolling Stone article about Taylor Hawkins, friends and colleagues of the late drummer gave interviews about his final months. It includes quotes claiming that Hawkins privately expressed discomfort about Foo Fighters’ extensive tour schedule. The band’s representatives denied these characterizations. Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, who were among the sources discussing Hawkins’ final private conversations, have since released statements today apologizing to Hawkins’ bandmates and family. They also distanced themselves from the article. “When I agreed to take part in the Rolling Stone article about Taylor, I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work,” Matt Cameron wrote in a statement. “My quotes were taken out of context and shaped int...

New York’s State Senate approved a bill Tuesday (May 17) that would limit prosecutors’ use of song lyrics and other forms of “creative expression” as evidence in criminal cases. Senate Bill S7527 would not ban prosecutors from presenting lyrics or other material to a jury, but would require them to show that the work is “literal, rather than figurative or fictional.” The bill, which was sponsored by Senators Jamaal Bailey and Brad Hoylman, received public support from Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Killer Mike, Fat Joe, and Robin Thicke, among others. Before the bill can become a law, it must pass the New York State Assembly; a companion bill sponsored by Assembly Member Catalina Cruz is pending before a committee and awaiting a vote.  The bill, while in the works for months, comes as Atlanta rapp...