Unpaid Royalties
We Spoke to the Actual Artist Behind FN Meka, the Controversial AI Rapper
Kyle the Hooligan, the man who originally voiced the “robot rapper,” said he still he hasn’t been paid.
Why Drakeo the Ruler's Legal Battle Should Concern Us All
After a three-year fight for his freedom, the rapper was released last month. His lawyer explained what Drakeo's story says about our justice system.
How To Fix Racism in the Music Industry, By People in the Music Industry
Here's what people of colour across the music industry would like to see change.
The Noisey Guide to Deciphering Music Licensing and Contract Terms
Synchronization rights? Mechanical royalties?? We got you.
This 1996 Law Was Meant to Save Radio. Instead, It Decimated Popular Black Music
The Telecommuncations Act ushered in a new era of radio consolidation, flattening Black music to fit under one ad-friendly umbrella.
Black Artists Built the Music Industry. It's Time They Got Their Dues
Introducing Unpaid Royalties, a series about the myriad ways that the music industry exploits Black artists—and what's being done to change them.
Inside the NYPD's War Against Drill Rap
Sheff G says he's among those being unfairly targeted by the NYPD's "Rap Unit." It's costing him and rappers like him their livelihood.
Hit-Boy Is Tired of Making Money for His Publishing Company
“People in the building have said, ‘This is unethical; this is wrong. This is not right,’” the producer said of his Universal Music contract.
Bad Deals Are Baked Into the Way the Music Industry Operates
We broke down the three most common types of contracts an artist might sign today, offering a window into how the “bad deal” isn’t an anomaly—it’s by design.
Black Artists Are Still Getting Ripped Off the Way Little Richard Was
The kind of egregious exploitation Richard faced in the 1950s might seem unthinkable today. But for many Black artists, not much has changed.
From Prince to Whitney to Nicki: The Plight of the Black Pop Star
How does one exist as a Black pop musician when pop is predicated on whiteness?
The Co-Opting of Rap Criticism Is About More Than Just Music
The strongest reporting on the LA riots of 1992 came from Black writers at a hip-hop magazine. In 2020, the infrastructure for a robust Black press doesn't exist.