music

Private equity firm Blackstone has bought Hipgnosis for $1.6 billion USD. The firm now owns the entirety of the publicly traded music catalog fund, also known as Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF).HSF is the owner of music catalogs and intellectual property rights from Justin Bieber, Shakira, Blondie, Neil Young, Justin Timberlake, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Leonard Cohen.Hipgnosis was founded in 2018 by musician and producer Nile Rodgers and Merck Mercuriadis, who previously managed Beyoncé and Elton John. In 2021, Blackstone invested $1 billion USD into Hipgnosis Song Management, an arm of the company that advises the investments made by HSF.As part of the deal, Mercuriadis will step down as CEO of Hipgnosis after six years in the role upon the acquisition’s closing. Earlier this year, a thir...

Action Bronson has returned with his eighth studio album, Johann Sebastian Bachlava The Doctor. Following 2022’s Cocodrillo Turbo, the project marks Bronson’s first independent musical release in over a decade.Bronson reunited with his frequent collaborators, The Alchemist and Daringer, to produce the album. The Alchemist also features on the LP, alongside Yung Mehico, Mayhem Lauren, Larry June and Julian Love.The project was rolled out with the singles “Nourish a Thug,” “Sega” and “Shadow Realm.” On several of the songs, Bronson introduces himself, saying, “it’s me, the doctor.Earlier this month, the artist got a restock of his sold-out New Balance 1906R collaboration in the colorways "Rosewater" and "Medusa Azul." He also recently worked on a campaign with Aimé Leon Dore and Porsche.Stre...