Snoop Dogg might not be impressed with DSPs payout. But that hasn’t stopped Eminem, or rather his publishing company, from going after what he’s owed.
Back in 2019’s the “Somebody Save Me” rapper’s co-publisher, Eight Mile Style, launched a lawsuit against streaming giant. Now according to Music Business Worldwide, the five-year-long $40 million case is partially over in favor of the stream.
In the decision, Judge Aleta A. Trauger shut down Eight Mile Style’s claim that Spotify “deceptively” asserted that it had the “proper licenses” for several Eminem tracks.
“While Spotify’s handling of composer copyrights appears to have been seriously flawed, any right to recover damages based on those flaws belongs to those innocent rights holders who were genuinely harmed,” she said. “Not ones who, like Eight Mile Style, had every opportunity to set things right and simply chose not to do so for no apparent reason, other than that being the victim of infringement pays better than being an ordinary licensor.”
Instead, Trauger ruled that Kobalt Music Publishing, another royalty collection agency, was seemingly at fault, a declaration Spotify’s legal team previously made.”
However, in a statement provided to the outlet (viewable here), Kobalt Music Publishing denied the accusation. “Spotify mischaracterizes the substance both of the services Kobalt provides to Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated in the United States, as well as the content of Spotify’s direct US licensing agreement with Kobalt,” said the rep.
Eminem has not issued a public response to the court’s decision.
Barry Keoghan has a lot going on. Outside of keeping up with the Instagram account for Bratz, the Oscar-nominated actor is in a new movie, Bird, that just screened at the Toronto International Film Festival; he’s also reportedly dating pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter and starring in director Trey Edward Shults’ new movie and The Batman 2. But first, before he gets tWiStEd as The Joker, Keoghan has to share something important: how to pronounce his last name.
During an interview with Variety at TIFF, Keoghan was asked to “settle once and for all” how to say his last name. It’s Kee-oh-gan, not Keegan. But don’t feel too bad if you were pronouncing it wrong all this time, like Homer Simpson with Mrs. Crandall, I mean, Krabappel. “Some people get it wrong, I mean, even Irish people get it wrong,” he said. Ayo Edebiri would never!
As for Bird, the Andrea Arnold film is described as a drama about “a distracted father (Barry Keoghan) and his lonely and imaginative 12-year-old daughter, Bailey (Nykiya Adams), who must seek attention (and adventure) elsewhere.” The film, which was acquired by Mubi, comes out in theaters on November 8.
One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Denver Nuggets this offseason revolved around the future of their standout guard, Jamal Murray. Despite reports indicating that they were working towards a contract extension that would keep him around long-term, Murray never put pen-to-paper on a new deal as the regular season approached and looked primed to start the year on an expiring contract — a particularly curious move considering his struggles at the Olympics and his lingering injury issues.
Ultimately, the two sides were able to get an extension all sorted out, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic. The reports indicate that Murray signed a 4-year extension that will pay him $208 million, and considering his current deal, Murray is now set to be a member of the Nuggets over the next five seasons and will make $244 million.
Considered one of the best players in the NBA to never make an All-Star or All-NBA team, Murray has established himself as the perfect backcourt partner for Nikole Jokic and a bona fide crunchtime performer in the postseason. Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists last season on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.5 percent shooting from three, but he only appeared in 59 games.
After seven years, Linkin Park is ready for a new start. The band has found a lead singer that would make the late former frontman Chester Bennington. Just like the group’s fresh beginning, Emily Armstrong wants to ensure her past actions don’t ruin her stint as the band’s new lead singer.
Yesterday (September 7), Armstrong took to her official Instagram page to address her past support of Danny Masterson when he was accused of rape. In a lengthy Instagram Stories upload (captured by Deadline), walked back her initial comments now that That ’70s Show actor has been convicted and sentenced.
Read Emily Armstrong’s full statement below.
Hi, I’m Emily. I’m new to so many of you, and I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back.
Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I always try to see the good in people and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty.
To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.
Emily Armstrong wasn’t the only entertainer that backed Danny Masterson. Masterson’s former co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis also showed their support by way of supposed court letters during his sentencing. Each receive intense pushback from the public.
Still sharing a Netflix account with an old flame and need to get the password? That’s nothing compared to the awkwardness of promoting a movie that’s produced by your soon-to-be former husband. This highly specific scenario is what Jennifer Lopez is going through at the moment.
On Friday, the actress attended the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of her new movie, Unstoppable, less than three weeks after she filed for divorce from Ben Affleck. (He’s listed as a producer of the sports drama, along with Matt Damon.) She wore what People described as “a sexy floor-length silver Tamara Ralph dress with high splits up both sides, tied together with oversized black velvet bows and revealing her daring and sultry side boob.” In other words, she wore a revenge dress, one that has people talking.
“Jennifer Lopez redefined both the revenge dress & the Girl Who Is Going to Be OK meme at the #TIFF premiere of #Unstoppable. Say what you will about her, but she is a master of making sure her story is told the way she wants it to be told,” @tomandlorenzo wrote on X, while @JLoverJin (who might be slightly biased) added, “Damn!!!! One of the best revenge dress I’ve ever seen!”
For what it’s worth, Affleck was not at the premiere.
Unstoppable stars Jharrel Jerome as wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg but persevered to win the NCAA national championship in 2011. Lopez plays his mother, Judy, a domestic abuse survivor.
“I have the pleasure to introduce [her], because it was a pleasure and honor to not only meet but portray a woman that poured her heart, soul, and her blood, literally, into her children, teaching them that nothing is more important than family,” Lopez said at the premiere while introducing the real-life Judy Robles. “Against all odds and obstacles, she rose, leading by example to show her children that they, too could be unstoppable.”
Yesterday (September 6), during Usher’s first night in Brooklyn he brought a little piece of his seemingly second favorite hometown staple with him — strip clubs. While at the Barclays Center, Usher transferred the stage into his own mobile exotic peep show. Although this isn’t new by any means for Usher, just see his Las Vegas residency show, but this time he was along in his tantalizing quest.
Three leading ladies in their own right, Taraji P. Henson, Victoria Monét, and Yung Miami joined Usher for the sensual showcase. As the performer showed off her gymnast moves each lady threw money to show their mesmerized support (viewable here).
At one point, Victoria Monét even ever so slightly participated before allowing to professional to put it down (or up rather). Usher has a lot of tricks in his books but none quite like his featured supporting act.
Prior to the rated R demonstration, Usher took a moment to acknowledge his “SOS (Sex On Sight)” collaborator, Victoria’s breakout year. “We love you baby girl,” he said before paying her hit song “On My Mama” over the venue’s speakers (viewable here)
Usher’s Past Present Future Tour won’t officially wrap in the US until mid-November, so there’s no telling what else he has planned.
Now, Doja Cat has returned to X (formerly Twitter) in the most Doja Cat way possible. Yesterday (September 7), Doja Cat posted a sensual NSFW pole dancing video (viewable here). With no caption, users took a deeper dive into the clip to try to pick the mind of the Grammy Award winner. While many of the guesses were certainly wrong, the most hilarious crack at decoding the post was “Doja Cat is pushing forth a public service announcement about literacy,” which makes sense given it was National Read A Book Day.
Dressed in her preppiest school girl getup with color coordinated glasses, Doja Cat maintains balance on the pole as she reads the book of her choice. There is no method to Doja Cat’s online madness just troll-like antics users can’t help but laugh along with. This clip is sure to become a viral GIF or meme in a matter of hours, similar to the fan dubbed Ass-Zilla photo Doja Cat reposted back in April.
In her offline time, things are much more demure. After being spotted holding hands abroad, the “Masc” rapper seemingly confirmed that she’s in a budding romance with Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn.
Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is here, and that means we’re back with winners. If you are unfamiliar with the column, this is year 8 (!) of our endeavor to hand out five picks during each week of the NFL season, and the returns have been reasonably solid. 2023 was a clear success, and we’re not planning to slow down anytime soon.
With that said, Week 1 is full of landmines. Betting lines have been hammered into place over months and months, with fewer opportunities to exploit mis-priced offerings. Still, there are openings available, and we can potentially benefit through staking out positions on which teams the market isn’t seeing correctly.
At any rate, let’s check in with a reminder of last season, ending with the Super Bowl, before handing out this week’s card.
Super Bowl LVIII: 4-1
2023 Season: 59-42-4
Come get these winners.
Carolina Panthers (+4) over New Orleans Saints — Widely Available
If you’ve been with us for a while, you will not be surprised by this bet. If you are less familiar, you might be shocked to see a Week 1 bet on the Panthers. Of course, Carolina was an absolute atrocity last season, finishing 2-15 and earning the No. 1 overall pick that conveyed to Chicago and became Caleb Williams. The Panthers couldn’t protect Bryce Young. They had no skill position talent. It was a true mess. Naturally, we’re taking them in the opener. For one, Carolina made tangible upgrades all over the offense. For another, Young isn’t as bad as it seemed last year. And finally, I’m lower on the Saints than the consensus. Put that in a stew and take Carolina.
Tennessee Titans (+3.5) over Chicago Bears — Widely Available
There is a great deal of excitement about the Bears, and I genuinely get it. Caleb Williams projects to be the best quarterback for Chicago in my lifetime and he has an impressive group of wide receivers to go along with a potentially stout defense. However, Williams is still a rookie making his first start, and on principle, I have to take the dog with more than a field goal. It helps that, while Tennessee is in transition, the Titans actually spent a boatload of money trying to be respectable this season. I think they will be, and that starts on Sunday.
Seattle Seahawks (-5.5) over Denver Broncos — FanDuel
We’re fading another rookie quarterback in Week 1 with Bo Nix. Nix is ancient by prospect standards, but this is a still a new level of test, and he’s also playing on the road in front of a raucous crowd. For good measure, Denver’s supporting cast is not exactly elite, and Seattle is being undervalued with this number under a touchdown. I believe in Geno and company so much that I’m laying a favorite of more than a field goal in Week 1. Bizarre stuff.
Los Angeles Rams (+4.5) over Detroit Lions — Widely Available
Didn’t we just watch this game? The Rams were +3 in the Wild Card Round in Detroit in January (we had them!) and lost by a point. That doesn’t mean the same thing will happen again, but the worldwide love for the Lions has pushed this all the way to 4.5 at the time of this post. Detroit is quite good, but I believe in the healthy version of the Rams and Week 1 is a good time for that. The Lions are more likely to win the game outright, but I have to take the candy here.
New York Jets (+4.5) over San Francisco 49ers — Widely Available
The Jets were hilariously bad at times last season, largely due to wholly incompetent quarterback play. I don’t know what Aaron Rodgers is going to be post-Achilles, but I’m confident he’s an upgrade. New York also has two legitimately elite offensive weapons in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Perhaps more importantly, I’m still buying this defense as one that belongs in the top tier. From there, the 49ers have a lot of moving parts right now with holdouts that kept high-profile players away from training camp, some injury concerns, and the looming potential regression coming off a Super Bowl loss. Give me the 4.5 on Monday night.
A modest TV can’t contain Alan Ritchson. He’s simply too tall. He should be on the big screen — and soon, he will.
The Reacher actor plays the lead in Motor City, the new film from director Timur Bekmambetov about a Detroit resident named John Miller (Ritchson) who “unleashes a rampage of brutal vengeance on those who framed him” after being released from prison. Sounds good, especially from the director of Wanted and Unfriended, but I prefer co-star Ben Foster’s description.
“Motor City — we just wrapped — is virtually a silent film,” the Leave No Trace actor told Collider. “There are five lines of dialogue. Jack White is helping with the music, so it’s like a rock disco revenge film. It’s like a graphic novel, so it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out.” White is a Detroit legend who has made some of the best rock music to come out of the city, so it’s a natural fit — and a solid endorsement — for Motor City to have his involvement.
Going back to Ritchson: Foster was asked what it’s like to work with Jack Reacher himself (not this one). “He’s very tall and very muscular and he’s very handsome,” he joked before adding, “He’s terrific as a mover. I think he wants to do some deeper work or rather different kinds of work than he’s been doing, and that’s a joy.” Ritchson is taking the job very seriously.
Motor City does not have a release date yet, but it’s safe to say, a seven nation army couldn’t hold Reacher back.
The latest chapter in 2K Sports’ professional basketball series hit consoles on Friday afternoon, as gamers who did not get early access to NBA 2K25 were finally able to get their hands on a copy of the game. One of the most compelling parts of the game is seeing what the updated rosters look like, and today, we’re going through all the teams in the game and highlighting their highest-rated player.
Click here for current NBA rosters, click here for the best player on every WNBA team, and if you want to check out who the best player is on the historic teams, click here. Below, you’ll see every NBA team’s best player on their all-time rosters.
Philadelphia 76ers: Moses Malone, 97 OVR Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 99 OVR Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan, 99 OVR Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James, 99 OVR Boston Celtics: Larry Bird, 99 OVR
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, 95 OVR Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol, 93 OVR Atlanta Hawks: Dominique Wilkins and Bob Pettit, 95 OVR Miami Heat: LeBron James, 99 OVR Charlotte Hornets: Glen Rice, 90 OVR
Utah Jazz: John Stockton and Karl Malone, 97 OVR Sacramento Kings: Oscar Robertson, 97 OVR New York Knicks: Walt Frazier, 97 OVR Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, 99 OVR Orlando Magic: Tracy McGrady, 95 OVR
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki, 98 OVR Brooklyn Nets: Julius Irving, 97 OVR Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, 97 OVR Indiana Pacers: Paul George, 93 OVR New Orleans Pelicans: Chris Paul, 97 OVR
Detroit Pistons: Isiah Thomas, 95 OVR Toronto Raptors: Vince Carter and Kawhi Leonard, 96 OVR Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon, 99 OVR San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan, 98 OVR Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash, 96 OVR
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, 97 OVR Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett, 98 OVR Portland Trail Blazers: Clyde Drexler, 96 OVR Golden State Warriors: Wilt Chamberlain, 99 OVR Washington Wizards: Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld, 94 OVR
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