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COPYRIGHT DISPUTES AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY (or is it that hard to write an original song and/or pay for sampling)

Believe it or not since the 1850’s federal courts have been dealing with copyright infringement. Back then you think it would be a lot easier to come up with an original piece of music. Over the past twenty years the number of these cases has blown up. Is it that there’s so much music out there it’s hard to come up with a new groove, or is it the whole sampling thing? At any rate the list of artists being slapped with copyright lawsuits is long.

Way back, Michael Bolton released a song with the same name and some of the same lyrics as The Isley Brothers. Michael argued that there was no plagiarism going on but the court disagreed and awarded the Isley Brothers 5.4 million dollars. Bet the Isley Brothers wished he would rip off more of their beats. Then there was the time Vanilla Ice penned Ice Ice Baby and didn’t realize that altering the rhythm and base line of Queen & Bowie’s Under Pressure wasn’t enough to call it your own and skip the whole getting permission, giving credit and paying royalties thing.  More recently Usher, David Guetta, Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Chris Brown, Led Zeppelin (Yes, Led Zepplin), Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Jay Z are on the short list of those sued for copyright infringement.

The trial over Blurred Lines starts next month and has Pharrell and Robin Thicke hoping they won’t Got To Give It Up to Marvin Gaye's estate. Then just this week Sam Smith very quietly and classily settled a dispute with Tom Petty over the likeness between Sam’s three-time Grammy- nominated Stay With Me and Petty’s I Won't Back Down. Sam’s camp says the similarity is a “complete coincidence”.

What isn’t a complete coincidence is that sparks will be flyin’ off the ones and two's when I hit you up with custom HK remixes this weekend. You’re gonna want to turn the volume way up when I rework Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk , Alesso -  Heroes, Calvin Harris featuring John Newman – Blame, Ella Henderson - Ghost, Nick Jonas – Chains, Taylor Swift – Style and so much more!   

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

CROWDFUNDING…WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

Could crowdfunding sites be the next big way for artists to get in the studio and get their music heard? Crowdfunding platforms are typically used by unknown artists to finance their creative projects. Although it has recently expanded to established stars like Spike Lee, Zach Braff and one of history’s most successful R&B groups, TLC.

TLC started their campaign on Monday with the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and in three days exceeded their goal of $150,000. One could say who wouldn’t want another TLC album. I know I do. But others have suggested that the fact TLC isn’t going through a record label for funds may mean that this album isn’t necessarily something marketable. Then there’s always the obvious question of what will this album be like without Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes who tragically died in a car accident.  

Do you feel crowdfunding should be left for struggling unknown artists that have exhausted all means or be used by existing stars with the clout, connections and a bankroll to do it the traditional way?  Will you help “Kickstart” TLCs next and supposedly last album?

I'm gonna kick start your weekend with a new bevy of custom HK remixes on One Direction – Night Changes, Taylor Swift – Blank Space, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo – Time Of Our Lives, Cash Cash – Surrender, Ed Sheeran – Thinking out Loud and so much more. Don’t miss a single beat this weekend on In The Mix with HK™!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

UPTOWN FUNK GETS FUNKED UP ON IN THE MIX WITH HK™

Mark Ronson has been sitting atop the Billboard chart for two weeks with his banger Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars! Ronson is the step son of Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. Born in the UK among British musical professionals and cultural elite, he grew up in the U.S., attending Vassar College and NYU. Ronson broke onto the music scene as a NYC club turntablist who then got into production and went on to win Grammys for his work with Amy Winehouse and Adel. I just love a club DJ done good.

Uptown Funk is the lead single from his latest and fourth album, Uptown Special, that just dropped this week. Although this is his first hit to make a splash in the US, Ronson has been kickin’ it in the UK for some time. Will Uptown Special deliver more hits? I haven't heard the whole album, so for now I don’t know, but I am L-O-V-I-N Uptown Funk and can’t wait to funk it up HK style this weekend!

We're all going uptown when I put the HK sonic glaze on Selena Gomez, Hozier, Jennifer Lawrence, Iggy Azalea and Prince Royce. Plus reworkings on brand spankin' new jams from Olly Murs, Priory, Milky Chance, Ne-Yo and more!

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.

MUSIC HAS TAKEN OVER THE FLAT SCREEN!

Music has always been a factor on the flat screen. But now music related shows of all genres are popping up more than ever. For a while now Nashville, Glee and a long list of music competition shows have been huge. But last week Galavant a medieval musical fairy tale with songs by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken aired on ABC. Next week Angela Basset makes her directing debut (despite much Houston family criticism) with Whitney a Whitney Houston biopic to air on Lifetime. Jimmy Fallon's Lip Sync Battle is getting a spinoff show (thank you music gods) in April on Spike TV with LL cool J as host. Then there’s Empire, the new FOX musical soap that dropped this week staring Terrence Howard. Giving the show Hip- hop cred is none other than multiple Grammy-winning producer-rapper Timbaland as song writer and producer.

Before or after you binge out to the TV, I’ll be blowin’ up your speakers with custom HK remixes on Selena Gomez – The Heart Wants What It Wants, Calvin Harris featuring John Newman – Blame, Ariana Grande and The Weekend – Love Me Harder, Fall Out Boy – Centuries, Hozier – Take Me To Church, Fifth Harmony – Sledgehammer and new music from Hoodie Allen, Vance Joy, Priory and Imagine Dragons.

Join me for an epic night of live remixing on all your faves and …

Remember…if it's hot, if it's new and it makes you wanna move…you're In The Mix with HK™.