Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign's Listening Event Was Impossible and This Is Why

Being a Kanye fan isn’t for the weak, but he was spotted in the studio with Lil Baby if that helps ease the pain of his canceled listening event. In other news today:

• Song streams & revenue 💰️ 

• 3 reasons Kanye’s listening events keep being canceled ❌ 

• Young Thug’s RICO finally gets a trial date 🐍 

• Kendrick Lamar dropped an anti-smart phone ☎️ 

• New Music Friday releases 💿️ 

• Industry Insights 📈 

Song Streams & Revenue

It’s a new Thursday and a new song revenue chart. As reported by Hits Daily Double, which tracks streaming revenue week over week, the above chart reflects the streaming period from October 20 to 26.

Drake remains the king of streaming in the third week of For All The Dog. His five songs on the above chart made a combined $323K from 68M streams, down 17% from the previous week of $386K for the same songs.

3 Reasons Why Kanye & Ty Dolla $ign’s Listening Events Keep Getting Canceled

According to Billboard, Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s multi-stadium listening event scheduled for November 3rd has fallen through again after a similar event, rumored to take place in Italy, was canceled earlier in October. Here’s why it was unlikely to happen in the first place.

Billboard broke down the many logistical issues that would make an event of this magnitude nearly impossible to pull off in such a short time—not that Kanye’s ever been one to take “no” for an answer.

#1 Logistics

Hosting a stadium event typically requires weeks of planning with local officials, and many of the US stadiums suitable for Kanye’s event are booked by NFL and college football teams. Overseas, it’s soccer season for stadiums, and even if a home team is away, it would disrupt the turf or operations to set up a concert between games.

#2 Financial Support

It would cost over an estimated $5M for the booking and event staffing of a multi-stadium event, including pricey insurance policies, and Kanye needs a financial backer. Lucrative partnerships like Apple Music’s livestream of the 2021 Donda sessions are what make these types of events possible.

This is where a booking agent comes in but Kanye’s been without one since he was dropped by CAA last year amid his antisemitic statements. He was reportedly declined by booking agency WME earlier this month.

Given the news aired on a new episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that Kanye was living a minimalistic life in LA, it’s unlikely he could assume the financial risk or cost for a stadium event alone.

#3 Ticketing and Communication

Aside from Ty Dolla’s announcement on October 23, no plans for venue or ticket sales were made public. Those details at the 2-week mark of the reveal could have been enough time to ensure communication with fans, but a few days prior isn’t enough. A ticketing partner was also needed, and Kanye may have the same barriers as he does in finding an agent.

Trial Date Set for Young Thug’s YSL RICO Case

More than 17 months after Young Thug was arrested on gang charges, a trial date has been set for November 27. Out of the 28 alleged gang members named in the original indictment, only seven remain. Thug could be facing a life sentence if fully convicted.

At a hearing on Wednesday, November 1, Judge Glanville swore in a jury to hear the case and set the date for opening statements. Jury selection began in January and was plagued with delays due to the estimated months-long trial length. The final jury comprises seven Black women, two white women, two Black men, and one white man.

A new photo of Thug in court emerged this week, likely from the hearing, and the comments not so kindly pointed out his weight gain. Some fans speculated that it’s due to his sobriety in jail without drugs that have an appetite suppressant effect.

Before taking it to trial, the topic of song lyrics as evidence has not yet been settled. Ironically and sadly, the YSL song “Take It To Trial” is cited as evidence by the prosecution, along with 47 other lyrics. There will be a hearing next week to determine the extent to which prosecutors can use lyrics and both sides will present arguments before the ruling. 

The controversial use of lyrics is criticized for unfairly swaying juries and creating racial bias in the courtroom. California recently restricted this practice, but it’s allowed in Georgia, which has looser RICO laws.

Kendrick Lamar Dropped Steve Jobs’ Nightmare Anti-Smart Phone

pgLang, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free’s creative venture remains an enigma, but every now and then, they drop a new project offering insight into the vision. This week, they released a collaboration with Converse and a phone that’s “just a phone.”

What does that mean? The Light Phone II has the essential functions of a cell phone without the distraction of modern media. It’s basically Steve Jobs’ worst nightmare; you can call, text, and set alarms, but no images can be stored or sent on it. There are only 250 available in North America for $299 each.

There’s no camera or passcode, and the phone “will never have social media, internet browsing, email, news or ads,” according to Light’s website. It uses a technology called “electronic paper,” popularized by the Kindle and other e-reading devices.

The design, however, is sleek, minimal, and modern despite its old-fashioned functions. If there’s one thing pgLang knows how to do, it’s design.

I imagine brainstorming sessions with the concept of “Kendrick as a phone” on a blackboard and NO SOCIAL MEDIA underneath. He gives major unreachable via technology vibes like the friend that never answers a call, often misplaces their phone, and takes 2-3 business days to answer a text.

New Music Friday

Eminem is releasing the expanded version of his Marshall Mathers LP2 album for its 10th anniversary. But the “expanded” means one new song and many instrumentals. Here’s all the music you can look forward to—categorized by 💿️ for albums and 🎶 for singles:

• 💿️ The Marshall Mathers LP2 by Eminem

• 💿️ Flying High 2 by The Alchemist

• 💿️ I Might Forgive…But I Don’t Forget by Jeezy

• 💿️ Tee’s Coney Island by Tee Grizzley

• 💿️ Back At It by Famous Dex

• 💿️ Blanket by Kevin Abstract

• 🎶 “BACHELOR” by Gunna, Turbo

• 🎶 “Baller” by Nav

• 🎶 “BLEED” by The Kid LAROI

• 🎶 “Blacklight” by EARTHGANG, Spillage Village

• 🎶 “Hope In The Whip” by Cochise

• 🎶 “Cobra” by Megan Thee Stallion

• 🎶 “1738” by Fetty Wap, Coi Leray

• Diddy wears Batman costume after receiving legal warning from Warner Bros. The notices were sent over his Joker costume last year, which he humorously tied into his costume this year.

• Instagram spotted developing a customizable “AI friend.” Users would be able to chat with AI to “answer questions, talk through any challenges, brainstorm ideas, and much more.”

• Tupac murder suspect Keefe D is “unable to afford a lawyer.” His arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 2nd but will likely be delayed again due to his lack of an attorney, and will assigned a public defender.

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