Hip hop photographer, legendary NYC cable access host and Beastie Boys associate Ricky Powell has died aged 59, Complex reports. His relationship with Beastie Boys opened up the door to work with LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim. He also worked beyond the hip-hop scene, photographing Andy Warhol, Madonna, Sofia Coppola, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Vin Diesel and more. He hosted a TV show, 'Rappin With the Rickster', for six years during the 1990s, interviewing stars including Laurence Fishburne and Sonic Youth. Numerous books of his work were published, and a documentary, 'Ricky Powell: the Individualist', was released in 2020.

A group of architects and creatives have presented a Vertical Theatre, a "future-proof" live performance venue designed for socially distancing and is touted as being "tourable" for the pandemic, Broadway World reports. The structure will go up several floors, will have a roof, with optional open sides to allow for optimum airflow and natural ventilation. The audience would be able to sit in balconies that can accommodate groups between 4-12 people or designated social bubbles, and it can hold between 1,200-2,400 fans.

Atlanta rapper Silento, real name Ricky Hawk, was arrested on 1 February and was charged with the murder of his cousin Frederick Rooks, who was found shot dead on 21 January, Variety reports. The 23-year-old had a hit with his single 'Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)' in 2015, accumulating 1,7 billion views on YouTube.

US actress Evan Rachel Wood has claimed singer Marilyn Manson "horrifically abused" her during their three-year relationship in the late noughties, Vanity Fair reports. Manson has denied the allegations, saying they were "horrible distortions of reality". Other women came out with similar allegations against Manson, real name Brian Warner - his personal assistant Ashley Walters, artist SourGirrrl, Sarah McNeilly, and Ashley Lindsay. Loma Vista Recordings - which released Manson's most recent albums - said that it would no longer be working with the artist and would cease promoting his latest album "effective immediately". Manson has also been removed from two US TV shows - 'American Gods' and 'Creepshow'.

500 performers and 300 backstage workers such as make-up artists and hair-stylists are suing Kanye West for up to $30 million in damages after allegations that he failed to pay up for his Sunday Service shows, The Sun reports. The two class-action lawsuits allege that West broke employment laws at his Hollywood Bowl opera 'Nebuchadnezzar' in November 2019. The allegations are said to include failing to pay hundreds of employees on time, or not at all, as well as not delivering the overtime wages, meal and rest breaks and business expenses to which employees were legally entitled.

Paying more for the streaming of music could have a“potentially devastating” effect on the income of artists and songwriters - YouTube has warned the UK music industry following their efforts to force the video streaming giant to raise the amount it pays, Guardian reports. The Charlatans‘ Tim Burgess has written a piece in the Guardian as well speaking out against purported inequalities in streaming payments: "I’m not averse to the idea of a musical reset: using the pandemic as an opportunity to look again at how things are working in the industry. To take this moment and this strange landscape we find ourselves in, and just switch things off and back on again".

'The Sparks Brothers' documentary about avant-garde pop duo Sparks made its world premiere at the virtual edition of Sundance, and the trailer is out now. The film features rare and archival footage of Sparks' 50 years of weird, wonderful pop, extensive interviews with the duo of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, as well as interviews with collaborators and fans, including Flea, Todd Rundgren, Mike Myers, Neil Gaiman, Tony Visconti, Jane Wiedlin, Amy Sherman Palladino, Giorgio Moroder, Sex Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones, Weird Al Yankovic, Duran Duran, Jason Schwartzman, and more...

The colorful ensembles BTS wore in their "Dynamite" music video sold for a total of $162,500 at Julien's Auctions, bringing in more than eight times the amount they were estimated to bring in. Japanese art collector Yusaku Maezawa and YouTuber HIKAKIN bought it, Broadway World reports. A painting of Snoop Dogg’s self-portrait dog wearing a 'Doggy Style 25' gold chain signed by Snoop was the next top seller at $96,000, sixty-four times its original estimate of $1,500. All proceeds from the items sold at auction - numerous others were also offered - will go to MusiCares, providing aid to artists and music community professionals in times of need.

Republic Records had taken the top four spots on Billboard 200 this week, the first time in 24 years, Billboard reports. Morgan Wallen’s 'Dangerous: The Double Album' (released via Big Loud/Republic) is No. 1 for a third week, Pop Smoke’s 'Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon' (Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic) is steady at No. 2, Taylor Swift’s 'Evermore' (Republic) rises 4-3 and The Weeknd’s 'After Hours' (XO/Republic) climbs 8-4. The last time a label held the top four spots was in December 1996 when Bush, Snoop Dogg, No Doubt and 2Pac ruled the world.

Mikau release an interesting metal/hyper-pop song, or as they describe it - mallcore 'At The Edge of Fading Consciousness'; Irish singer/rapper Denise Chaila flaunts an impressive flow in 'Anseo'; hardcore band Stick To Your Guns share an acoustic version of their song 'Amber'; Chelsea Wolfe & Emma Ruth Rundle are on the verge of bursting in 'Anhedonia'.