It has been over six years since the cremation of Prince following his death at home from an accidental fentanyl overdose at the age of 57.
The question, however, of who would control and benefit from the estate of the legendary singer — who died without a will — was not put to rest until Monday.
A Minnesota judge signed off on a deal that authorizes the division of the $156 million estate evenly between two legal entities.
It will be split evenly between Primary Wave, a well-funded New York music company, and three of Prince's six heirs and their families and advisors.
According to court documents, Prince Oat Holdings LLC — owned by Primary Wave — consists of interests once held by half-siblings Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson, as well as three separate entities owned by the publishing company.
Prince Legacy LLC's membership consists of Prince's eldest half-siblings, Sharon Nelson, John Nelson and Norrine Nelson, as well as their advisors L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer.
The decision was made possible by the parties finally coming to a settlement on the value of the estate, originally appraised at $82.3 million by the estate’s administrator, Comerica Bank & Trust, in January.
Under Minnesota law, the six half-siblings were named his heirs when he died with no living children or spouse to claim his estate.
As part of the agreement, the heirs, and their advisors, along with Primary Wave will split $6 million in cash and potentially many times that in music rights and other valuable intangibles.
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
The Battle for Prince's $156.4 Million Estate Comes to an End Six Years After His Death
D-Nice Invest in Start-Up Aiming to Revolutionize How Cities and Residents Interact
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Harlem hip-hop pioneer D-Nice helped bring the world closer together during the pandemic with his widely viewed live DJ sets dubbed "Club Quarantine."
The 52-year-old legend, perhaps best known for his work with influential rap group Boogie Down Productions and discovering Kid Rock, is hoping to continue that work on an even larger scale.
Towards that end, he recently announced an investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Simplicity.
The company boasts of revolutionizing how cities and residents communicate and interact.
It touts its U.S. Simplicity app as a "city in your phone where people can find all critical city updates, emergencies, outages and more."
D-Nice, whose real name is Derrick Jones, has joined the company's Advisory Board as an investor and ambassador for the City of Los Angeles.
Michelle Obama, Rihanna and More Tune in to DJ D-Nice's Virtual #ClubQuarantine pic.twitter.com/H5yn5JpbSp
— NewsOne (@newsone) March 23, 2020
"Club Quarantine demonstrated the power of technology as a tool to bring together a community of people around the power of music," he said in a statement. "Simplicity is another example of leveraging technology to lift the spirits and deepen the relationships among people in cities around the world. The alignment was too obvious not to be part of the movement."
Simplicity co-founder Juraj Gago added, "Having Derrick back up this critical mission is significant and can help the company achieve our main goal: to improve life in cities."
"Club Quarantine" was a genuine phenomenon during the pandemic's peak. The eclectic and inclusive live DJ sets grew from having an audience of thousands to over a million, seemingly overnight, as the shows became a virtual social gathering spot for music lovers.
D-Nice was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards and has taken the show on the road. He will fulfill a lifelong dream on Aug. 4, when he performs the show live at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.
Travis Scott's Road to Redemption Goes Through Las Vegas
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| Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Rapper Announces ‘Road to Utopia’ Residency at Las Vegas
The Travis Scott comeback tour gained significant momentum on Monday when the much-maligned rapper announced he had secured a Las Vegas residency."Road to Utopia" is touted as a "mind-bending, first-of-its-kind nightclub residency experience" by Resorts World Las Vegas. Housed at the resort's Zouk Nightclub, it kicks off on Sept. 17 and will span seven shows.
Got Goosebumps yet? Experience @travisscott like you never have before as he takes over the stage at #ZoukNightclub on September 17 and October 15 for live performances you won’t forget 🔥https://t.co/NkvbkZ6RlO pic.twitter.com/uX9tNg411i
— ZoukGroupLV (@ZoukGroupLV) August 1, 2022
Resort World Las Vegas' chief marketing officer, Ronn Nicolli called Scott a "one-of-a-kind, multi-talented artist" in a statement and added, "His residency will bring a new level of energy to Resorts World Las Vegas and add to the property's diverse list of entertainment and nightlife offerings."
For the 31-year-old musician, the gig is a major milestone in his continued return to the limelight following the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival less than a year ago.
Scott's signature annual hometown concert ended in a crowd stampede that left ten people dead and hundreds more injured last November.
In the wake of the disaster, the multi-platinum artist was dropped as a headliner from several major music festivals. Ultimately, he took a six-month break from performing.
He returned to the stage at the Billboard Music Awards in May. Since then, he has done a guest set at Rolling Loud, a nightclub appearance, and performances at parties during Coachella and the Oscars.
The shows at Zouk will be all about Scott, featuring the "Sicko Mode" singer performing his hits in a state-of-the-art facility. A possibility of Scott previewing upcoming tracks during the residency was also teased in the announcement.
"His electric performances will pair perfectly with our immersive atmosphere, bringing our guests an unmatched show unlike anything else they can find in Las Vegas," Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group, said. "We can't wait to kick off his residency and continue to amplify our talent lineup."