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As many in the music industry know, over the past few years the police have come down hard on venues and promoters that put on events featuring grime, hip hop and other urban music. There’s no doubt that this has had a serious impact on the genre in the UK. 

Recently Project Urban - a major event which was due to be held at O2’s Indigo club and feature some of the biggest names in Grime such as Tinchy Stryder, Ironik and Wiley - was scrapped after being considered a high risk event by police despite no specific intelligence about violence. (more…)

Form 696, Grime, UK news, Wiley | No Comments »

The nominations for this year’s Urban Music Awards (UMA’s) - to be held on July 17th in New York - are out. Bobby Valentino and Rihanna are leading the pack, with three and four nominations respectively. 

Rihanna is up for Best Female Act 2009, Artist of the Year 2009, Best R&B Act and Best Music Video for “Rehab” (feat. Justin Timberlake). Valentino, who will also perform at the award show, has been nominated for Best Music Video, Best R&B Act and Best Male Act. Dizzee Rascal is also in the Best Male Act category.

UK acts in the running for awards also include M.I.A. Estelle - both nominated for Best Female Act - and Tinchy Stryder. 

The full nomination list is as follows:

Artist of the Year 2009 (USA & UK) 
Rihanna
The Dream
Rick Ross
Akon
Neyo
J. Holiday
Lil Wayne 

Best Album 2009 (USA & UK) 
John Legend - ‘Evolver’ (G.O.O.D/Columbia) 
The Dream - ‘Love VIS Money’ (RadioKilla /DefJam)
Kanye West  - ‘808’s & Heartbreak’ (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
Akon - ‘Freedom’ (Konvict/Upfront/SRC/Universal Motown) 
Seal - ‘Soul’ (Warner Bros.)
Musiq Soulchild - ‘On my Radio’ (Atlantic)
Keri Hilson - ‘In a perfect world’ (Mosley/Zone4/Interscope)
JadaKiss - ‘Last Kiss’ (Ruff Ryders/D-Block/Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
India Arie - ‘Testimony: Vol2, Love & Politics’ (Soulbird/Universal Republic)

Best Gospel Act 2009 (USA only) 
Mary Mary
Mathew West 
Francesca Battistell
Kirk Franklin
Brandon Heath
Donnie McClurkin 

Best International Latino Act 2009 
Kat de Luna
Fanny Lu 
Shakira
Tito ‘El Bambino’
Enrique Iglesias 
Vincente Fernandez

Best Music Video 2009 (USA & UK)
Rhianna - “Rehab”
Bobby V feat Lil Wayne - “Ms Officer”
Day 26 ft. Young Joc & Diddy - ‘Imma put it on her’
Akon - ‘Beautiful’
Lady Gaga - ‘Poker Face’
Neyo - ‘Ms Independent’ 

Best R&B Act 2009 (USA & UK) 
Rhianna
Jazmine Sullivan 
Robin Thicke
Bobby V
Keyshia Cole
J Holiday

Best DJ 2009 (USA & UK) 
Green Lattern (USA)
Khaled (USA)
Tim Westwood (UK)
Fatman Scoop (USA)
Funkmaster Flex (USA)

Best Radio Station 2009 (USA only) 
Power 106 (South Carlifonia) 
Hot 97 (New York)
Q93 (www.q93.com) 
99 Jamz (South Florida)
95.7 Jamz (Atlanta , GA) 

Best TV Show (US only) 
Making the Band – MTV
Bet 106 & Park – BET 
American Idol – FOX
Rip the Runway – BET
Harlem Heights – BET 

Best HipHop Act 2009 (USA & UK)
Lil Wayne 
Giggs
Kanye West
Jay-Z
Lupe Fiasco
Kardinal Offishall

Best Magazine (Print & Online)
Yo Raps
Source
HipHop Weekly
Vibe
XXL

Best Male Act 2009 (UK & USA)
Flo’rida
Dizzee Rascal
Giggs
Kid Cudi
Ghetts
Bobby V
Day 26

Best Collaboration 2009 (USA & UK)
Kanye West ft Estelle - ‘American Boy’
Taoi Cruz ft Sugababes & Busta Rhymes - ‘Like a Star’
Jay Z ft Santagold - ‘Brooklyn Go Hard’
T-Pain feat. Ludacris - ‘Chopped & Screwed’
Sway feat. Akon - ‘Silver & Gold’
Jim Jones & Ron Browz ft. Juelz Santana - ‘Pop Champagne’
Musiq Soulchild ft. Mary J Blige - ‘If U Leave’

Best Female Act 2009 (UK & USA)
Amy Winehouse
Estelle
Jazmine Sullivan
M.I.A
Chrisette Michelle
Rhianna
Keri Hilson

Best International Reggae Act 2009
Movado
Sean Paul
Tony Matterhorn
T.O.K
Erup
Sizzla Kalonji

Best Producer 2009
Mark Ronson
Swiss Beatz
Timberland
Scott Storch
Ryan Leslie
Stargate 

Best Single 2009 (USA & UK)
Tinchy Stryder feat Dappy - ‘Number 1’
Busta Rhymes ft Diddy, T-Pain & more - ‘Arab Money’
Ghetts - ‘Sing for me’
T-Pain - ‘Chopped & Screwed’
Eminem ft Dr. Dre & 50 Cent - ‘Crack a bottle’
Kid Cudi - ‘Day and Night’
Beyonce - ‘Halo’

Dizzee Rascal, Estelle, UK news, US news, Urban Music Awards | No Comments »

People’s Music Store, an online independent music retailer powered by music fans, has teamed up with Universal Music to offer 300,000 of the label’s tracks for paid download.

Considering how few physical independent record shops are left, could the people’s music store provide a good model for other online independent shops? Could its success be replicated in the urban market to replace the stores that have closed down in recent years? 

Music, UK news, Universal | No Comments »

Here’s what’s going on in the world of urban music today…

UK

The Guardian: De La Soul Teams up with Nike for first new release in 5 years

Brand Republic: Spotify signs up 40,000 new users per day, 50-60% from UK

The BBC: Nokia’s not attracting many UK users to its Come With Music service

(more…)

Laura Izibor, Nokia, Spotify, UK news, US news | No Comments »

The Times: Tinchy Stryder’s unlikely business partnership with MP’s son

Reuters: The recession has slashed the fortunes of some of the UK’s music millionaires

The Guardian: 1xtra’s Wilber Wilberforce shows support for new pop-soul artist Daniel Merriweather

Have a great weekend from VerseOnline!!

1xtra, Grime, Music, UK news | No Comments »

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, worldwide digital music sales rose 24.1% to $3.78billion.

However, overall sales declined by 8.3% because physical sales - which still account for 75% of sales globally - were down by 15.4%.

With digital making up only around 4% of global sales, the music industry is still heavily reliant on physical product. This balance needs to be shifted if the industry is to grow.

Sales by region:

Europe -

Total sales: down 6.3% to $7.3bn

Digital sales: up 36.1% to $750million

Physical sales: down 11.3% to $5.8bn.

Performing Rights: up 11.3% $576.2million

US -

Total sales: down 18.6% to $4.9bn

Digital sales: up 16.5% to $1.78 billion

Physical sales: down by 31% ($1billion)

Performing Rights: up 133% to $54.8million

Global, IFPI, UK news, US news | No Comments »

The music of London-based producer and DJ Nikki Beatnik - who regularly spins for the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and a host of other international, high profile  artists, brands and companies - has been picked up by UK fashion designer Wale Adeyemi to feature in his new fashion campaign entitled “From The B-Side”.

“It Came From London” - a single which mixes electro, urban beats, dirty house and grime - will be the main track for the collection.

Adeyemi’s clothes have been worn by stars including David Beckham, Usher and The Black Eyed Peas while Nikki Beatnik has been described as one of the best female DJs in the UK.

DJ Nikki is also one of 9 celebrities including TV presenters Reggie Yates and Fern Cotton, singer Estelle, actress Jaime Winston and Daisy Lowe who have been chosen by Adeyemi and The Princes’ Trust to design T-shirts for charity. The t-shirts will be available later this year.

DJ Nikki Beatnik, Fashion, UK news, Wale Adeyemi | No Comments »

In a break from tradition, this year’s Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards will be held in Glasgow. Since its inception in 1995, the MOBOs have only ever taken place in London, at venues ranging from Wembley Arena to the Royal Albert Hall. 

In a press conference this morning, MOBO Awards founder Kanya King, singer Lemar and X Factor group JLS publicly announced that Glasgow’s SECC will play host to the event which is scheduled for September 30. (more…)

MOBO Awards, UK news | No Comments »

One in 10 albums bought in the US in 2008 was by a British artist, recent figures from a BPI report have revealed. 

Artists such as Leona Lewis, Duffy and Estelle helped boost the British market share of the US market from 8.5% in 2007 to 10% in 2008. 

While - according to Neilsen Sound Scan - US album sales were down by 14%, British artists were able to gain an increasing portion of the US market. Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love was the most downloaded single in the US. 

Top British albums in the US:

1) Coldplay - Viva La Vida (also 2nd biggest selling album of the year in the US)

2) AC/DC - Black Ice

3) Leona Lewis - Spirit

4) Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

5) Duffy - Rockferry

UK artists selling 1m+ tracks

Coldplay - 5.054

Leona Lewis - 4.728

Natasha Bedingfield - 3.923

M.I.A. - 2.235

Queen - 1.725

Estelle - 1.565

Rolling Stones - 1.304

Led Zeppelin - 1.176

Duffy - 1.039

BPI, Neilsen Sound Scan, UK news, US news | No Comments »

In an ultra-competitive move against itunes, Amazon has slashed prices of top-selling mp3s to a low of 29p. MP3’s by artists such as Leona Lewis and Bajan artist Shontelle are at the bargain basement price, while Alesha Dixon’s ‘Breathe Slow’ is currently selling for a comparatively expensive £1.69.

This move comes as Amazon attempts to challenge Apple’s dominance in the digital download market. Just last week Apple changed its pricing structure: moving from offering a flat fee for all downloads - most songs were originally 79p - to tiered pricing which will see songs sold for 59p, 79p and 99p. 

To find out more about what’s going on at Amazon and why read more over at The Guardian. 

Is this a test of how much consumers are willing to pay for downloads? And who will win? 

Amazon, Music, UK news | No Comments »