Ye’s ‘Vultures 1’ Briefly Removed From Apple Music; Donna Summer-Sampled Song Pulled From Album
Ye's new album briefly from Apple Music and iTunes before being reintroduced amid issues surrounding distribution and uncleared samples.
Ye’s new album, Vultures 1, briefly disappeared from Apple Music and iTunes before being reintroduced amid issues surrounding distribution and uncleared samples.
The rap/fashion mogul released his new studio album with Ty Dolla Sign on Friday, February 9. But less than a week into full rotation, Ye saw the LP snatched from Apple Music and iTunes on Thursday afternoon with only a few singles remaining, Variety reports.
According to reports, FUGA, the initial distributor credited in YouTube’s metadata for Ye’s album, was actively working to remove Vultures 1 from all streaming platforms. However, shortly after the album vanished, it returned to the platforms through Label Engine, which is reportedly now in charge of distribution.
While Vultures 1 reappeared on all streaming platforms, the track “Good (Don’t Die),” which includes a non-approved interpolate of Donna Summer’s 1977 song “I Feel Love,” is noticeably absent. Last week, Summer’s estate released a statement accusing Ye of copyright infringement for releasing the song after being denied the sample.
Donna Summer’s estate says Kanye West used her song ‘I Feel Love’ for his new album after being denied permission:
Veteran rock star Ozzy Osbourne also called Ye out for including an uncleared sample of his rock band Black Sabbath on the album. Osbourne made it clear he had no interest in working with Ye due to his antisemitic comments.
Meanwhile, FUGA never clarified why it no longer wanted to work with Ye. But did reveal it was a decision made sometime last year.
“Exercising our judgment in the ordinary course of business, we declined to do so,” FUGA said. “On Friday, February 9, 2024, a long-standing FUGA client delivered the album Vultures 1 through the platform’s automated processes, violating our service agreement. Therefore, FUGA is actively working with its DSP partners and the client to remove Vultures 1 from our systems.”
There have been several delays in releasing Vultures 1 due to distribution issues. It was initially set for release in 2023 before being pushed back multiple times as Ye worked to find a distributor.
According to Forbes, despite all the controversy surrounding Vultures 1, it was the number one album—in Australia.
The BOSS Network Awards $250K In Scholarships And Grants To Divine Nine Sororities And Chicago Urban League
The BOSS Network is awarding $250,000 in grants and scholarships to Divine Nine Sororities and the Chicago Urban League.
The BOSS Network is celebrating its 15th anniversary in a big way by partnering with Sage to award $250,000 in grants and scholarships to Divine Nine Sororities and the Chicago Urban League.
The alliance made the announcement on Friday, Feb. 16, bringing together BOSS Network’s digital platform of businesswomen who support each other through online content and Sage — a forefront provider of accounting and payroll technology tailored for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Together, they will offer $50,000 each in grants and scholarships in partnership ($250,000 in total) to the Divine Nine sororities Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated; the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated, and the Chicago Urban League.
As part of the investment, four women from each organization will receive a $10,000 grant from the BOSS Impact Fund and a scholarship to BOSS Business University (valued at $2,500). It follows the BOSS network’s 2023 Ladies That Lead conference in December that honored the president of each Divine Nine sorority and the Chicago Urban League president.
“As the BOSS Network continues to celebrate its yearlong 15th anniversary, we look forward to continuing to work with the leaders of these incredible Divine Nine sororities and the Chicago Urban League,” The BOSS Network CEO Dr. Cameka Smith said. “We know that this investment will provide these organizations with momentum as they further their efforts to benefit our community.”
The initiative expands on The BOSS Network’s work with the Sage Foundation, which includes the three-year, $1.5 million commitment to the BOSS Impact Fund and its “Invest in Progress” grant, which offers financial assistance to Black women-led businesses. The BOSS Network also collaborates with Sage and Swoop, a global fintech firm specializing in business funding solutions, on the “Pathways to Success” initiative, which provides innovative training and mentorship opportunities to empower Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta.
New Reality Show ‘Bold and Bougie’ Premieres On WE TV
Centered on five women and their struggles, Bold and Bougie is a new obsession for lovers of reality TV.
Bold and Bougie has joined WE TV Network’s Thursday night lineup and it features some familiar faces.
Following the lives of five women, as they work through love, heartache, and the trials of sisterhood, the Atlanta-based show is an instant must-watch and shows there’s nothing wrong with liking nice things. Basketball Wives alum Malaysia Pargo is set to star alongside celebrity wardrobe stylist Temeka Foster, hairstylist Gocha Hawkins, television producer Princess Banton-Lofters, and restaurant owner Crystal Smith. Though all of the women are used to living in the public eye, this time, they plan to show a different side of themselves — both to the world and each other. Get to know each of the ladies below.
Coming off of the tail end of a public divorce from former NBA star Jannero Pargo, Malaysia Pargo is an entrepreneur and mother of three trying to start anew. A veteran in the world of reality television courtesy of her days on the VH1 network, she is now ready to take life by the reins and share just what she’s made of — without biting her tongue.
Tameka Foster has dressed some of Hollywood’s biggest names from legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige to rapper Jay-Z and her former husband, Usher Raymond. As she prepares for the empty-nester life, Foster is ready for all kinds of adventure and jetsetting after years of motherhood.
Gocha Hawkins is a self-made millionaire, a feat that didn’t come easily. After spending the early years of her life dealing with tragedy and eventually finding herself in jail for two years for selling drugs, the hairstylist took a hard look at her life and, with it, did a hard pivot. Now a grandmother of four, Hawkins has a firm grasp on what she wants to be — unapologetic and unfiltered, two values she brings to Bold and Bougie. After all, as she shares in the trailer, she didn’t come to be quiet. Rather, she’s here to turn up.
Princess Banton-Lofters has found success as a talent scout, television producer, and business owner. However, she is looking to shine a bigger light on her many talents, having remained in the background for far too long. For her, this season is all about making a name for herself and making sure it’s remembered.
Crystal Smith is a restaurant owner and single mother of three. Following a difficult divorce from R&B singer Ne-Yo, she is looking to live life to the fullest and a little on the wild side. Though each lady comes from a different background, they’ve managed to forge friendships with each other and tackle their shared struggles together.
Introducing Technology & Enterprise With April Walker: A Q1 Conversation About Tech
BLACK ENTERPRISE jumps into tech talk with a new series "Technology & Enterprise" powered by tech innovator and expert April Walker.
What Are We Going to Discuss This Year?
The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI, ChatGPT, data privacy, and cybersecurity, and how these things will play a critical role in the way every industry shapes and influences societal norms, human condition, public health, policy, economic development, skills, and careers.
A truly full circle moment – I have been an avid reader of BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine since the beginning of my professional career, starting in the late eighties and early nineties. Now more than three decades later, I’ve achieved a lot of career goals, for sure, but with this publication, I am realizing a career milestone – writing my own quarterly column for the very magazine that, for decades, served as part of my toolkit and compass for how I would navigate my career journey; but it was also within the pages of this magazine that I gleaned what was possible, for me, for us! There is nothing more powerful than seeing in print what you, too, can become! I recall the first time in 2014 – where BLACK ENTERPRISE featured on its cover and devoted a piece about a Black woman in corporate America reaching the heights of the corporate ladder – ‘shero’ Ann C. Fudge, President of the Maxwell House Division of Kraft General Foods. That was career-life changing, as I would intently read the magazine’s monthly chronicle and features of the likes of former CEOs, Ursula Burns, Xerox Corporation; Kenneth I. Chenault, American Express; Walgreens Boots Alliance, Rosalind Brewer; to present day business mogul, Mellody Hobson Hobson, Co-CEO Ariel Capital Investments. I, too, would aspire to succeed in these very similar corporate ecosystems.
While I share the drive, ambition, and, yes, courage that these remarkable Black executives possessed to achieve their career goals, our passions differed just as the paths we traversed to get there – hence our industries of focus were markedly different; for me, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) was where I found not only opportunity and possibility, but one that today I celebrate more than three decades in career. Working for some of the largest corporate enterprises and technology companies in the world, I have served as a senior technology executive leading global organizations and today I serve as Senior Vice President for a Fortune 100 technology company. It is my passion for all things tech that has led me to this pivotal moment – Technology and Enterprise by April Walker, and I could not have asked for a more fitting inaugural start than to publish my first column in February – Black History Month!
So, what am I going to write about and share with you each quarter? Technology and industry, of course. And I will do so with the intention to educate, inform, and enlighten you as the reader who seeks discernible value within the words and concepts I write about. This column will have concerted focus to present the impacts and opportunities new and emerging advancements in tech have and will, with vigor, have on our community-at-large. I will discuss important topics such as the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI, ChatGPT, data privacy, and cybersecurity, and how these things will play a critical role in the way every industry shape and influences societal norms, human condition, public health, policy, economic development, skills, and careers. I will also introduce the latest gadgets, tools, apps, tips, training, and innovations that you may consider viable to incorporate into your daily lives. The practical use of these technologies will have vast and direct correlation to the overall well-being of our community and all communities-of-color; however the benefits without proper governance could prove less equitable for the minority populace, particularly since it is these communities least likely to enjoy access to new skills enablement and training, en masse.
Befitting this month’s celebration of our history, I recently discovered Dr. King, in his brilliance and uncanny ability of foreseeing and speaking of a future that many could not even have begun to fathom during his time on earth, often spoke about science and the impact of technology on society, and it rings true today.
In his infinite wisdom, Dr. King profoundly remarked, “We must work passionately and indefatigably to bridge the gulf between our scientific progress and our moral progress. One of the great problems of mankind is that we suffer from a poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually.”
I am excited to take this journey with you and look forward to your embrace and following of this column. I value and welcome your opinions and suggestions on topics that are of interest to you. I thank the BLACK ENTERPRISE media company for offering this space to join the voices of this long-standing steward in the Black community and will, with overwhelming diligence and enthusiasm, strive to author articles that meet the high-quality standards that we have all come to expect from this publication.
April Walker is a digital transformation expert, technologist, board member, published author, industry thought-leader, and C-suite advisor. A career spanning more than 30 years in STEM, April has held leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. She has been an executive leading global organizations and served as a catalyst for driving change, direction, and developing enterprise-wide and global strategies for digital transformation, technology, and innovation for Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, MetLife, and NBCUniversal, to name a few, and today,April serves as Salesforce’s Senior Vice President of Customer Success for North America.
P.J. Tucker Fined $75K After Publicly Requesting Trade From LA Clippers
The NBA announced P.J. Tucker has been fined $75,000 for publicly "expressing a desire to be traded to another team."
Los Angeles Clippers forward P.J. Tucker publicly requested a trade and earned a hefty fine from the NBA.
“The NBA announced today that LA Clippers forward P.J. Tucker has been fined $75,000 by the NBA for public comments reported during the week of February 5 expressing a desire to be traded to another team.”
The 38-year-old player was recently sent homeon a recent Clippers road trip due in part to his disgruntled state. Tucker is reportedly frustrated because he believes he is not receiving adequate playing time.
Last week he expressed his thoughts to Andscape journalist Marc J. Spears right before the league trade deadline.
“I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play,” Clippers forward PJ Tucker ro @andscape.
Tucker landed in Los Angeles as part of a seven-player, three-team deal with the 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Halloween. He has not played for the Clippers since Nov. 27.
Tucker said he agreed to sit on the bench until he was traded—which did not take place before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
“It was agreed upon that I would sit,” Tucker told The Athletic. “I didn’t just sit, it was agreed upon. Until they moved me, I would sit. They didn’t do it. But (I) try to be professional, as professional as possible. But at the same time, if I don’t advocate for myself, who is? You know? But it is what it is, man.”
Tucker is expected to return to the team after this weekend’s All-Star break. The Clippers’ next game is Thursday, Feb. 22.
Grab A Bestie And Head To The Theater For National Black Movie Day
National Black Movie Day is upon us and here are some ways you can join in the celebration.
The National Black Movie Association (NBMA) will observe National Black Movie Day on Feb. 17 to celebrate Black cinema and its contributions to the film world.
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating National Black Movie Day for a fifth year,” said Agnes Moss, founder of the NBMA and creator of National Black Movie Day. “It’s truly gratifying to know that people across the country will join us in celebrating the rich legacy of Black cinematic excellence.”
A former film student, Moss is an avid supporter of Black movies, having had her own aspirations of becoming a filmmaker cut short due to the lack of funding for a film program at her university. Now, she hopes to herald in a new generation of Black student film creatives through the establishment of the NBMA. The nonprofit organization centers on five services and resources to facilitate impact – education and empowerment, news and information, research and data, marketing and advertising, and advocacy and involvement. “I want every student filmmaker to have the resources to make filmmaking a viable career,” said Moss.
In line with this mission, she and other members of the NBMA will also ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the night before National Black Movie Day in a symbolic display. “It embodies the mission of this organization –- to educate, elevate, and fund the work of the next generation of Black filmmakers and media creatives,” Moss shared.
In recognition of National Black Movie Day, cinephiles and film buffs everywhere are encouraged to show their support by viewing a Black film in theaters or at home or sharing a video online about their favorite Black movie, director, etc. Participants can also use the hashtag #nationalblackmovieday to show their enthusiasm while tagging @nationalblackmovieday on their posts.
HBCU+ Emerges As Game-Changer, Elevating Black Streaming Networks
Urban Edge Network, led by Hardy Pelt and Todd Brown, has disrupted the broadcast network landscape, thanks to HBCU+.
Sports Illustrated reports that Urban Edge Network, LLC (UEN), led by Hardy Pelt and Todd Brown, has made an impact in broadcast network landscape thanks to the HBCU+ streaming network. The platform, which debuted in 2021, reaches 300 million devices globally, making it a trailblazer in the historically neglected space of HBCU sports.
Pelt, the founding member and Chief Revenue Officer of UEN, identified the challenges faced by HBCUs in monetizing their sports properties. Seeking solutions, Pelt joined forces with industry veteran Brown, who boasts an impressive track record, including leadership roles at TheGrio, Ebony, Jet, Comcast, and Viacom. Their partnership was aimed at combating the unequal treatment of Black-owned media companies and became the driving force behind HBCU+.
Despite initial industry resistance, Brown and Pelt demonstrated unwavering determination to educate the marketplace. Their platform design provides HBCUs with exposure to revenue streams traditionally dominated by predominantly white-owned networks. This paradigm shift is not only revolutionary but crucial for the financial stability of historically Black institutions.
The strategic partnership with Amagi has further propelled HBCU+ and UEN, enabling access to cutting-edge technology, programmatic strategies, and influencer elements. This integration aims to maximize revenues for HBCU partners, offering a lifeline to athletic departments grappling with financial challenges.
Other milestones achieved by this duo include a groundbreaking broadcasting partnership with the NBA G League Texas Legends and the broadcast partnership with the inaugural Florida Beach Bowl. Additionally, the collaboration with the Impact Network has expanded UEN’s broadcasting capability to 70% of the country, solidifying its position as the premier Black-owned network for HBCU sports.
HBCU+ stands as an ad-supported Black college sports N=network, offering 24/7 access to live and on-demand HBCU games, sports events, original shows, films, podcasts, and more on platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, iOS, and Android.
The End of An Era: Rep. Jim Clyburn Is Stepping Down From Democratic House Leadership
You will be missed, Rep. Clyburn!
Rep. James “Jim” Clyburn (D-SC) is moving on from his post as a Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.
In an official statement, Clyburn said he is leaving his duties as Assistant Democratic Leader, which he has held since 2011. He informed Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) of his departure and said he was confident that things were in good hands.
“I have informed Leader Hakeem Jeffries of my intention to step down as Assistant Democratic Leader of the House Democratic Caucus,” Clyburn said. “I am confident that Leader Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and the entire leadership team will continue the important work of putting people over politics.”
While he is moving away from his leadership position, the 83-year-old lawmaker is hoping to remain the face of South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District as he plans to run for re-election. “I will run for re-election for the Sixth Congressional District. Events of the last several years have made it clear that the greatness of America is at peril, and the threats to our continued pursuit of a more perfect Union’ are real,” he wrote.
Clyburn set a new standard for younger political leaders to stand up and take charge. He was doing the unexpected in 2022 after he decided not to follow the lead of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). Such moves have allowed rising political stars such as Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) to run for Clyburn’s position. The spotlight has been on the 39-year-old politician since being named one of the impeachment managers during former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment.
The announcement comes weeks after Clyburn began campaigning for President Biden’s 2024 presidential election. With Biden’s reputation on the line with Black voters, Clyburn pushed some concern about MAGA’s hold on the country ahead of the 2024 election season. “I have no problem with the Biden administration and what it has done,” Clyburn said. “My problem is that we have not been able to break through that MAGA wall in order to get to people exactly what this president has done.”
After being praised by his mentor, Jeffries saluted Clyburn for the important work he had done during his time in office. He has worked on important legislation for former Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama, such as the Affordable Care Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Jeffries says millions of lives have changed thanks to leaders like Clyburn: “These enormous legislative achievements have changed millions of lives for the better. Rep. Clyburn has been a moral compass and powerful voice encouraging the Congress to be effective, equitable, and ethical public servants,” Jeffries said. “We are all better representatives because of Jim’s stewardship.”
Court-Appointed Attorney Wants To Be Removed From YSL Trial To Avoid Losing Her ‘Livelihood’
A court-appointed attorney involved in Young Thug's YSL trial is asking to be removed due to how it's put her in danger of losing “her livelihood."
A court-appointed attorney involved in Young Thug’s high-profile YSL trial is asking to be removed from the case because she claims it is putting her in danger of losing “her livelihood.”
Attorney Angela D’Williams spoke at a hearing on Friday, February 16, to ask the judge to take her off Fulton County’s RICO case against Young Thug and his YSL associates. D’Williams has been representing defendant Rodalius Ryan, 19, an alleged member of YSL (also known as Young Slime Life and Young Stoners Life).
The lawyer was only hired on a contractual basis and said the amount she’s being paid is too low for all the work and sacrifice she’s put into the case. D’Williams filed a motion claiming to have lost her physical law office and is in danger of losing “her livelihood” due to the trial, Atlanta News First reported.
Her letter notes the “minimal time for other professional responsibilities” she’s been left with due to working on the trial.
“I am not able to take on new clients because I am either in court for this trial or outside of court working on this case the majority of my time,” her motion states. “As such, I am not able to earn a livable wage while representing Mr. Ryan in this trial.”
She added that the “unique nature of the case has created an undeniable need for additional financial support.” While the Georgia Public Defense Council agreed that D’Williams’ situation was “unusual,” they could not agree to another pay increase, Legal Affairs and Trials journalist Meghann Cunniff reported.
Due to the low pay, it’s the second time D’Williams has asked to be removed from the case. Last April, she filed a motion asking to be taken off due to the $15,000 offer she was given to work on the case, which she said could take over a year. After months of selecting a jury and weeks of hearings, D’Williams says the raised salary ceiling of $55,000 is still insufficient to sustain a living.
She was assigned to represent Ryan, who is facing a charge of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The defendant is already serving a life sentence for the 2015 murder of a teenager in Atlanta.
Drake Shows Generosity To Fans At Concert Stops In St. Louis And Nashville
Drake promised to cover the hospital bill of a fan who asked for assistance at his St. Louis tour stop.
Canadian superstar Drake was in a giving mood at a recent stop on It’s All a Blur – As Big As the What?” Tour. While performing in St. Louis, the “Best You Ever Had” rapper promised to cover the hospital bill of a fan who displayed a sign in the audience asking for financial assistance from the recording artist.
According to Complex, Drake’s generosity was extended to a fan attending the Enterprise Arena show. After noticing the audience member with a sign, he stopped the show, saying, “You got a sign that says, ‘Please help me with my surgery.’ I don’t know what kinda surgery you need, sir. I really don’t. But I’ma let you know, from me to you, St. Louis love, we gon’ take care whatever the surgery is. We gonna help you out because we want you to be at the next show with us. You gotta show us love.”
This isn’t the first time Drake has shown love to his fans. It was reported by The Tennessean last week that he gifteda cancer patient in Nashville with $100,000 after the woman appeared at his concert with a sign that stated, “Just Finished Chemo.” The woman, Lauren Schwallier, has been fighting breast cancer since March 2022 and had just completed her last round of chemo. Drake motioned to the audience to bring Schwallier near the stage before saying, “I hope my manager doesn’t kill me ’cause I’ve never really done this much, but listen, I want you to cash this in at the end of the night,” as he handed her a receipt. “We’re gonna give you $100,000.”
“I love you and I wish you the best. Nashville, make some noise for her one more time.”
