Hip Hop News

Leon Bennett / Phil Spencer / Sarah Bond Big shakeup in the video game world: Phil Spencer is retiring, Sarah Bond is resigning, and a new person is calling the shots at Xbox. IGN is exclusively reporting that Phil Spencer, who joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988 and has been with Xbox since its […]

Royalties have a reputation for being one of the most confusing parts of being an independent artist. And honestly, not surprising. Your music isn’t just streams; it’s performance royalties, publishing income, YouTube revenue, neighboring rights, and multiple organizations responsible for collecting it all. The last thing any artist wants is to miss out on money

Swedish rapper CLANDESTINA has announced her debut EP, Politically Erect, a six-track exploration of social, political, and personal themes. Known for her work across Paris and Barcelona, the artist brings a global sensibility to the EP, writing and performing in Swedish, English, and Spanish. The release promises a fusion of rap, singing, and spoken word,

In 2026, independent artists have access to more music data than ever before. Streams, audience locations, social engagement, revenue trends. The numbers are everywhere, but knowing what they actually mean is a different story. Long-term growth comes from understanding what’s driving momentum, where listeners are showing up, and how fans are engaging across platforms. That’s

After much silence on the matter and constant probing and public appearances & accusations by Cam’ron, J. Cole has finally taken to responding to Cam’ron in a legal manner. For the uninitiated, Cam’ron sued J. Cole over claims of not receiving fair compensation or credit for Cam’s feature on ‘Ready ’24.’ What was more shocking,

Running a music career in 2026 looks a lot different from what it did even a few years ago. Between release planning, content calendars, DSP pitching, asset management, budget tracking, and coordinating collaborators, a lot is happening behind the scenes before a song ever goes live. The big question is: how do you keep everything

The second man accused of murdering Young Dolph is due in court today, where he is expected to plead guilty to killing the beloved rap star. Cornelius Smith has already confessed to shooting the Memphis rapper outside Makeda’s Cookies in November 2021. His attorney, Sharon Morales, had told reporters last month that they were working

If you don’t already know, Symphonic has a dedicated YouTube channel focused on breaking down music industry topics for artists of all stages. From distribution and royalties to long-term career planning, the channel covers foundational topics that every artist should understand before releasing music or building a strategy around their catalog. In this post, we’ve

Image Image Credit Simone Joyner / Contributor via Getty Images Image Alt Drake performs live onstage during Day 2 of Wireless Festival 2025 Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: DJ Akademiks dropped a new Drake snippet just before J. Cole’s The Fall-Off went live. Fans accused Drake of trying to overshadow Cole’s release with the timing