Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Nicki Minaj, who graces the cover of our recent print edition, recently dropped a trio of surprise tracks, two of them with Lil Wayne and one with Drake, which immediately earned huge sales, streams and spins. The YMCMB/Republic star may join her Young Money cohorts in a huge joint tour; in any case, she has once again demonstrated the ferocity of her singular voice and sensibility, which is underscored by her expression on our cover. Though appearing on this toothless rag will almost certainly get up in her grill.
Rob Stringer steps up to succeed Doug Morris in the top post at Sony Music at the beginning of April, following the veteran Brit exec’s stunningly successful tenure as Columbia chief. Stringer’s final year atop Big Red has been marked by triumphs on the charts, the Grammys and the marketshare standings, and he’s remained a dogged A&R man, closing the solo Harry Styles as a valedictory addition to the label’s storied roster. His ascension to Sony rule caps a 30-plus-year tenure at the company on both sides of the drink. Things are going so well he can probably ignore a Contents shoutout from the April fools at HITS.