Culture

Travis Scott's Cactus Jack Signs First-Look Deal With Paramount Pictures

Travis Scott's Cactus Jack signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures on July 22, giving the studio first refusal on his film, TV, theater, and live-entertainment projects after his narration role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Culture

Primary Wave Closes Kobalt Acquisition to Form a $7 Billion Music Company

Primary Wave completed its acquisition of Kobalt Music on July 7, buying the publisher and its AMRA collection society from Francisco Partners in a reported $1.5 billion deal that creates a combined $7 billion independent-music company.

Culture

Reservoir Media Acquires Nacional Records and Canciones Nacionales Catalogs

Reservoir Media acquired the recorded catalog of Latin independent label Nacional Records and the publishing catalog of Canciones Nacionales for an undisclosed sum, and formed a joint venture with the label to sign and develop new Latin artists and songwriters.

Culture

New Music Friday: Rick Ross, Steve Lacy & Syd — July 17, 2026

Rick Ross returns with Set In Stone, his first album in five years, alongside Steve Lacy's Oh yeah?, Syd's Beard, Larry June's Who Coppin and LADIPOE's REVIVAL. A Friday built on long-delayed returns — and one heavily announced album that never showed up.

Culture

Iron Maiden Members Sell Pophouse 50% of Their Catalog and Likeness Rights

Pophouse Entertainment, the ABBA Voyage firm co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus, bought 50% of Iron Maiden members' stake in their publishing, masters and likeness rights — including Eddie, the mascot who has fronted the band's artwork since 1980.

Culture

JAY-Z Plays Three Yankee Stadium Nights With Beyoncé, Nas, Eminem and Rihanna

JAY-Z headlined three nights at Yankee Stadium July 10-12, 2026, marking Reasonable Doubt's 30th and The Blueprint's 25th, with guests from Beyoncé and Blue Ivy to Nas, Eminem and Rihanna.

Culture

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Cleveland hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 8, 2026, honored in the Recording category as Ice-T and Fat Joe paid tribute.

Culture

New Music Friday: Future, The-Dream & Kelela — July 10, 2026

Future's The Real Me, The-Dream's Love/Hate II, Kelela's new avatar, Ne-Yo's Highway 79 and Baby Rose's YEARNALISM headline this week's New Music Friday.

Culture

Future Releases 'The Real Me,' His First Solo Album in Four Years

Future released The Real Me on July 10, a 22-track album and his first solo studio LP since 2022, with the guest-feature list withheld until the moment it dropped.

Culture

Justin Bieber Joins the First World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19

FIFA confirmed Justin Bieber for the first-ever World Cup final halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, a Chris Martin-curated set with Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Burna Boy backing a $100 million education fund.

Culture

Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Music for $18 Million in Unpaid So So Def Royalties

Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def labels sued Sony Music in Manhattan federal court for over $18 million, alleging decades of unpaid royalties on Mariah Carey, Usher, and Kris Kross records.

Culture

Beyoncé Surprise-Releases 'Morning Dew (Donk)' Ahead of B'Day 20th-Anniversary Reissue

Beyoncé dropped 'Morning Dew (Donk)' as a surprise July 4 single — her first new music in two years and a long-bootlegged 2013 cut — launching a 60-day countdown to a 20th-anniversary reissue of B'Day.