"Clearly, we need more tailored solutions for creators. The billions of dollars poured into the creator economy might suggest that the space is oversaturated, but that’s far from the truth. There are tons of burgeoning hobbyists who need help with marketing. For rising multi-hyphenates... the opportunities are there. But the tools are not keeping up" - Dan Runcie said in his call to the tech industry to offer creators technology they need.

Rapper Drakeo the Ruler was fatally stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday night, TMZ reports. The 28-year-old rapper was stabbed with a knife during an altercation that took place around 8:30 p.m. local time. He was taken to an area hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Following the incident, the remainder of Once Upon a Time in L.A. was canceled, including headlining sets from 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. LA Times reports about LA's hip-hop community mourning the loss of the rapper.

"The jazz and experimental music that left the biggest impression this year did so primarily because it challenged us to find momentum in life" - Pitchfork argues in favor of their selection of best jazz and experimental music. Some interesting music there - political poet Anthony Joseph who got a helping sax from Shabaka Hutchings, Pakistan singer Arooj Aftab, free-improv team of guitarist Bill Orcutt and drummer Chris Corsano, broad collab by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and The London Symphony Orchestra, rap poet Moor Mother and others.

Barack Obama released his rundown of favorite songs from 2021 on a new curated Spotify playlist, including Lil Nas X‘s smash 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)', Jon Batiste‘s 'Freedom', Mitski's 'The Only Heartbreaker', the War on Drugs/Mitski team-up 'I Don’t Live Here Anymore', hypnotic Nigerian guitar music from Mdou Moctar 'Tala Tannam', Little Simz's 'Woman' and others. “I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year. I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist” - Obama said of his selection.

Michelle Zauner, singer-songwriter better known as Japanese Breakfast, talks to Consequence about her past year which saw her release a best-selling memoir and an acclaimed album. She also talks about how loneliness helps her prevent burnout: “On tour, I don’t socialize as much as other people might. Touring is sort of like throwing a party every night — imagine hosting a party six nights a week in a row for six weeks! And every moment leading up to that party, you want to save up all your charisma and charm. A big part of avoiding burnout for me is being OK with taking alone time in-between moments that I have to be ‘on’.”

A reminder to Dan Runcie's earlier essay: "Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West are on the top shelf of rap’s new-money class. They became world-famous millionaires through the music industry, but realized they would have to sell more than music to become billionaires. The 'Run This Town' trio used music as the gateway, then capitalized on their influence at the height of their fame. Jay-Z made bank from selling Ace of Spades champagne and investing in startups. Rihanna built her Fenty empire into multiple brands. And Ye has sold so many Yeezys he’s probably lost count. The bottom line? Star power gets you in the door, but to maximize your platform, you need to sell something authentic that customers want to keep buying".

Longtime member of the Roots, Leonard Nelson “Hub” Hubbard, has died at age 62 from multiple myeloma, The Philadelphia Enquirer reports. Hub joined the Roots in 1992, has played on a string of early Roots albums, and had left the Roots following his 2007 cancer diagnosis. Hub co-wrote and arranged a number of Roots compositions, and performed as a member of the live band during his 15-year tenure. He also played with the Roots in 2001, when they supported Jay-Z during his MTV Unplugged concert, which was later released as a live album.

Bruce Springsteen has sold the masters of his entire catalog to Sony Music and the coinciding music publishing rights to Sony Music Publishing in a combined deal of around $500 million, Billboard reports. Springsteen’s catalog spanning 50 years, includes over 300 songs, 20 studio albums, 23 live LPs, 7 EPs, and more.

Yet another amazing video by the music theorist Adam Neely with answers to several questions, including the one on the Stromae's new song 'Santé'. Neely explains what Stromae did with this song's rhythm to make it special. Educational and fun, as always.

"I don’t take myself too seriously, these days, I’m just trying to have a good time because if these past twenty-four months have taught me anything, it’s how short life is” - Little Simz tells in in The Line Of Best Fit interview about her future plans. She also reflects on her latest album 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert', Best Fit's album of the year: “Introversion is my superpower, it’s something that protects me and shields me. I am this way inclined but in the same breath, I’m not unconfident in myself – I’m very confident. I just know that I haven’t got to necessarily be the loudest person in the room”.

The Golden Globe nominations 2022 are here. See the two music categories nominees below.

Best Original Score, Motion Picture:

Alexandre Desplat, 'The French Dispatch'

Germaine Franco, 'Encanto'

Jonny Greenwood, 'The Power of the Dog'

Alberto Iglesias, 'Parallel Mothers'

Hans Zimmer, 'Dune'

Best Original Song, Motion Picture:

'Be Alive', from 'King Richard'

'Dos Oruguitas', from 'Encanto'

'Down to Joy', from 'Belfast'

'Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)', from 'Respect'

'No Time to Die', from 'No Time to Die'

Universal Music Group has inked an expansive global partnership with “avatar technology company” Genies to develop avatars and digital wearables for some of the world’s most influential and successful recording artists including Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Rihanna, Shawn Mendes and Migos. UMG and Genies will equip artists “with official virtual identities for use in Web 3.0 and the shifting age of the Internet”. Music Business Worldwide brings the whole story.

"Having surged in global popularity in the spring last year, the genre – which developed in the townships of Gauteng in the early-to-mid-2010s – became 2021’s hottest sound of London’s post-lockdown nightlife. As Covid restrictions eased in late summer, UK nightlife pounced back into action. Venues like Brixton Jamm, Boxpark Shoreditch and Hackney’s Colour Factory started amapiano parties, while Days Like This teamed up with legendary twin brother-duo Major League DJz for a night of deep excavation into the Afro-house sound" - The Face looks into the South African genre moving into the UK.

Mitski shares 'Heat Lightning' gentle yet haunting waltz; Bon Iver and Nicholas Britell share 'Second Nature' from the movie 'Don’t Look Up', Adam McKay’s new satire about three scientists trying to warn the world about an incoming comet; Zannie shares their first single ‘Mechanical Bull’, a beautiful piece of folk music.

"If cascades of gorgeous-to-gritty tone, an effortless flow of sparkling, playful melody, harmonization and dazzling polyrhythmic syncopations make up your idea of six-string divinity, Dr. Nico surely belongs in your pantheon" - Guitar World writes introducing Nicolas Kasanda wa Mikalay, aka Dr Nico.

The Ringer has made a selection of the 50 best soundtracks from the past 50 years, with only pure soundtracks permitted - no scores. An interesting selection, from '8 Mile' to 'Purple Rain'.

"Tate was celebrated for his work analyzing Black artistry and influence, and he was at the front of the first wave of journalism documenting the birth of hip-hop. While working at The Village Voice from 1987 to 2003, Tate explored the burgeoning aesthetics, influences, and values of hip-hop, contextualizing it within both Black creative lineages and white-dominated spaces of popular culture" - Pitchfork wrote after the news of Greg Tate's passing at 64. Greg kick-started a band as a music critic - "I invented a band I wanted to hear but could not find. Three guitars two drummers two basses a flute one trumpet one alto two cellos one violin three singers acoustic piano synths turntables triangles laptops optional and a partridge family in a pear tree. Five years later this band still follows the teachings of Shelley Manne: never play anything the same way once".

Created by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah (aka Coodie & Chike), the three-part documentary 'Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy' will premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in January, Pitchfork reports. The project includes previously unreleased archival footage of the young Kanye West at work. The project, which reportedly sold for $30 million, has been in the making for 21 years. In addition to 'Jeen-Yuhs', a documentary based on Lizzie Goodman’s 2017 book 'Meet Me in the Bathroom' will ačlso premiere at Sundance next year, as well as Kathryn Ferguson’s documentary 'Nothing Compares', which examines the life and career of Sinéad O’Connor between 1987 and 1993.

"Take a close look at this year’s truly brilliant album releases and you might just conclude that the last 12 months have been all about pushing things forward while taking stock of the past" - NME introduces its selection of 50 best albums of 2021. Here are the Top 10:

10. Olivia Rodrigo - ‘Sour’

9. Turnstile - ‘Glow On’

8. Halsey - ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’

7. Arlo Parks - ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams’

6. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - ‘Carnage’

5. Tyler, the Creator - ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’

4. Self Esteem - ‘Prioritise Pleasure’

3. Wolf Alice - ‘Blue Weekend’

2. Little Simz - ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’

1. Sam Fender - ‘Seventeen Going Under’

"Much of this year’s best electronic music, both on and off the dancefloor, attempted to channel the mixed emotions of the present day. Loraine James, Space Afrika, Perila, Muqata’a, the Bug—all of them reminded us that electronic music can also be a vehicle for contemplation, sorrow, and even fury, while simultaneously testing the possibilities of their chosen forms" - Pitchfork says introducing its selection of 35 best electronic albums of 2021.

An interesting story in Consequence about the new ViroMusic project, which used a computer process called DNA Sonification which hunted through COVID-19’s genetic code, looking for stretches of the RNA that could be translated to music. An algorithm converted that RNA into musical notes and then turned those songs into NFTs.

"'Live From Blackalachia' is a wild imagining of what can happen when we seek not just to reclaim nature, but to re-integrate with it" - Moses Sumney says introducing his new live album recorded in the Appalachian mountains over the course of two days of summer. 'Blackalachia' covers songs from across Sumney's discography backed by a full band.

"Breakout artists like L’Rain, Dry Cleaning, and Arooj Aftab put themselves on the map and set high expectations for whatever they do next. Favorites like Jazmine Sullivan, Low, and the Weather Station moved from the margins into the spotlight with career-best releases. More than ever, great music was there to be found if you looked hard enough" - Pitchfork presents its list of 50 best albums of 2021. Here are their top 10:

10. Dry Cleaning: 'New Long Leg'

9. Playboi Carti: 'Whole Lotta Red'

8. Mdou Moctar: 'Afrique Victime'

7. The Weather Station: 'Ignorance'

6. Turnstile: 'Glow On'

5. Low: 'HEY WHAT'

4. Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / The London Symphony Orchestra: 'Promises'

3. Tyler, the Creator: 'Call Me If You Get Lost'

2. L’Rain: 'Fatigue'

1. Jazmine Sullivan: 'Heaux Tales'

"Sometimes even when things go right, you feel drained and empty, and that's ok. I had a great show at LPR with my band, but in the week that followed I didn't feel great" - music theorist and band-leader Adam Neely announces his latest video, about the feeling of emptiness after the show.

"The year’s best albums built idea on idea, theme on theme, one track at a time. Some explored the heaviness of life and death, and others provided us with all the joy we were missing from the world at large. What they have in common is an awareness of how to place a thought next to another thought, building in richness and complexity" - Consequence introduces its Top 50 albums of 2021 list. Here are their top 10:

10. illuminati hotties – 'Let Me Do One More'

9. Armand Hammer, The Alchemist – 'Haram'

8. Lil Nas X – 'Montero'

7. Lil Nas X – 'Montero'

6. Lucy Dacus – 'Home Video'

5. Little Simz – 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'

4. Turnstile – 'GLOW ON'

3. Arlo Parks – 'Collapsed in Sunbeams'

2. Japanese Breakfast – 'Jubilee'

1. Tyler, the Creator – 'CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST'

"In another trying year, many of the best songs were about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and trying again" - Pitchfork writes introducing its selection of this year's 100 best songs. Interesting choices between Halsey's 'I am not a woman, I’m a god' and Caroline Polachek's 'Bunny Is a Rider'. Rolling Stone also unveiled its selection of best songs of 2021, 50 of them. Twice's 'The Feels' and Wizkid's 'Essence' enclose the list.

"There wasn’t another artist in 2021 who dominated headlines, charts, and streams the way Lil Nas X did, all while delivering thought-provoking art pieces and promises of more to come. A star was born a few years ago, and now he’s arrived, more of a burning comet. Consequence is thrilled to name Lil Nas X our 2021 Artist of the Year".

Dave took home best album awards for his second record, 'We're All Alone In This Together' at this year's Mobo Awards, NME reports. Rapper Little Simz won best female, in recognition of her triumphant third album, 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'. Ghetts took home best male Mobo. Central Cee was named best newcomer, while Nigeria's Wizkid was named best international act.

Adele’s new album '30' spends a second week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the set earned 288,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 2, Billboard reports. Her new set logs the largest second week for an album in over three years. Elsewhere in the top 10, Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 'Christmas' surges 9-3, while Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack to the TV special 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' returns to the top 10, bounding 21-10.

The early birds of Rolling Stone have made a selection of the best albums of 2021. Not so retro list actually, and plenty of various artists between St. Vincent and her 'Daddy's Home', and Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour'. Check the full list here.