Iconic hip-hop label LOUD Records and its founder Steve Rifkind will be honored at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.
The show — hosted by Grammy-nominated rapper Fat Joe — will celebrate the label’s 30 years of being an industry trailblazer and Rifkind’s concurrent run as one of the genre's savviest businessmen.
Founded with just a monthly commitment of $3,000 from BMG in 1991 by Rifkind and Rich Isaacson, the label utilized a street marketing approach pioneered by Rifkind to sell over 100 million records without relying on radio airplay.
It also expanded the scope of popular hip-hop by bringing a roster of gritty and lyrical artists to prominence, most notably multi-platinum selling super-group Wu-Tang Clan.
Other artists that owe their success to the label include Three 6 Mafia, Mobb Deep, Tha Alkaholics, Big Pun, and Xzibit to name a few.
Steve Rifkind
“It has been such a rewarding 30 years for LOUD alongside my tireless partners Rich Isaacson and Jonathan Rifkind,” Rifkind said in a statement announcing the event. “The impact we’ve been able to make with some of today’s pioneering and trailblazing acts is unmatched. I’m privileged to be able to work with everyone from Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Xzibit, and more, to this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards host, my brother, Fat Joe. I’m honored that BET is recognizing the impact that LOUD has made in revolutionizing the industry and propelling the culture.”
The show’s producer Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, added, “Loud Records has been a cornerstone of hip hop since its inception 30 years ago with an array of artists that have each become essential elements to the periodic table of hip hop. We salute Steve, John, and Rich for their contribution to the culture.”
The awards premiere on the network next Tuesday (Oct. 4, 9 PM ET/PT) and will feature performances from David Banner featuring Lil’ Flip, Dead Prez, Mobb Deep with Lil’ Kim, M.O.P., Remy Ma, Three 6 Mafia, Wu-Tang Clan and Fat Joe.
Barbadian billionaire musician-cum-fashion mogul, Rihanna, will headline the next Super Bowl halftime show.
The 34-year-old pop star first teased the news Sunday afternoon in a vague Instagram post. She shared a photo of her hand, distinguished only by her iconic tattoos, holding an NFL-branded football.
Jay-Z's music entertainment agency Roc Nation — which oversees the halftime show and includes Rihanna on its roster — reshared the post with a caption that solidified its meaning.
"Let’s GO — @badgalriri @NFL #SBLVII @AppleMusic @NFLonFOX," the label's Instagram caption reads.
The NFL confirmed the news in a joint statement with Roc Nation declaring that the “international icon, entrepreneur and philanthropist” will take center stage at Super Bowl LVII's halftime show in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, 2023.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music. “Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance.”
Jay-Z added, “Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment."
The selection marks a significant milestone for the musician and new mom who gave birth to her first baby with partner A$AP Rocky in May. In 2019 she turned down the same gig in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who eventually reached a confidential settlement with the NFL on charges of collusion to keep the civil rights activist out of the league.
“I couldn’t dare do that," she told Vogue in 2019 of the reasoning behind her decision. "For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler. There’s things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way.”
Influential jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, one of the leaders in the spiritual jazz movement along with the genre's creator —his mentor and his frequent collaborator John Coltrane— died Saturday at the age of 81.
Luaka Bop, the record label that released his final album "Promises" in 2021, announced his death on Twitter.
"We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away," the label wrote. "He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace."
There was no cause of death given for Sanders. His manager, Anna Sala, confirmed Sander's passing in an email to CNN and called it "a huge loss for the music world."
We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away. He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pddaztyTLi
"His work influenced many generations of artists," Sala said.
Born Farrell Sanders in Little Rock, Arkansas, the artist had a musical upbringing but did not begin playing the saxophone until high school. Following his graduation in 1959, he started his professional career in Oakland, California, before finding his way to New York City.
There Sanders would initially experience bouts of homelessness intermingled with opportunity as he found like minds and began to push the scope of what it meant to be a saxophonist. Legendary jazz composer Sun Ra, an early collaborator who also sheltered him, encouraged him to use the name Pharoah.
By 1965 he had become a member of Coltrane's band. Together the saxophonists were at the forefront of the spiritual jazz movement, making music focusing on transcendence and spirituality. They continued to work together until Coltrane's untimely death in 1967.
Over 20 years later, in 1988, Sander's playing on jazz pianist McCoy Tyne's 1987 album "Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane" earned him a Grammy (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Group).
During his long and impactful solo career, beginning with his 1964 debut "Pharoah's First," Sanders released over 30 albums. His most notable piece, "The Creator Has a Master Plan," comes from his most critically acclaimed effort, 1969's "Karma."
The 32-minute-long free-jazz work evokes Coltrane's masterpiece "A Love Supreme," and it has been called the spiritual successor to the 1964 recording.
His final release, "Promises," a collaborative album with British electronic producer Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra, has been widely lauded by critics. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork called it a "clear late-career masterpiece" for Sanders.
My beautiful friend passed away this morning. I am so lucky to have known this man, and we are all blessed to have his art stay with us forever. Thank you Pharoah pic.twitter.com/6NdATGZve1
Points, whose real name is Sam Shepherd, shared a touching tribute to his former colleague on Twitter, with a picture of the duo together.
"My beautiful friend passed away this morning," he wrote. "I am so lucky to have known this man, and we are all blessed to have his art stay with us forever. Thank you, Pharoah."
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