Digga D is Music Week’s cover star for our May issue, as the superstar rapper and his team share their groundbreaking music industry story.
Granting a rare interview to celebrate this month’s release of this third mixtape, Noughty By Nature, Digga D (real name Rhys Herbert) tells the tale of the new record and opens up about drill, his journey, his marketing genius and more. This is the story of an artist’s dream rubbing up against circumstance, controversy and the law.
The rapper is joined by EGA Music president Colin Batsa, Groundworks co-founders Bills GW and Jeffrey Owusu-Dankwa, Mixtape Madness’ Kwabz Oduro Ayim and lawyer Cecilia Goodwin. Together, they expand on just how they’ve succeeded in helping Digga establish a platform and build his ever-growing international fanbase. Our cover feature looks in depth at the West London artist’s story so far, revealing how the growth of a genre and its leading light turned into something far bigger than music.
The subject of this month’s Music Week Interview is Downtown Music Services global president Mike Smith who, after making his name in A&R across records and publishing, expands on the latest chapter of a stellar career. We hear about Smith’s aim to connect continents through music and find out how he plans to make Downtown the No.1 destination for artists and songwriters.
As her Homecoming Festival returns, we catch up with Grace Ladoja in Lagos as the superstar manager and former Music Week Women In Music Rising Star unveils her aim to be a bridge between Nigeria and the UK. The Metallic founder talks about the next stage for her business empire, looks ahead to Skepta’s return and delivers her verdict on the state of play in the music industry in an unmissable interview.
Also in the features section, we meet Foals, alongside Joe Kentish and Jennifer Ivory of Warner Records UK, Q Prime’s Peter Mensch, CAA’s Emma Banks and Transgressive’s Toby L to lift the lid on the campaign for Life Is Yours. We hear how, fuelled by the dancefloor, their seventh album is set to underline Foals’ reputation as one of the most innovative rock bands around.
Elsewhere, we profile Sameul Ademosu, founder of management, records and publishing company The Flight Club. In his first major business interview, Ademosu talks Afrobeats, UK Black music and his plan to grow his company into a global music industry powerhouse.
This month’s features section is completed by a special report on neighbouring rights, as some of the sector’s biggest names reflect on the issues dominating the agenda in 2022.
Also inside a packed issue, William Orbit reflects on a life in music in The Aftershow, talking production, pop and working with Madonna.
In the latest Hitmakers, Nick Gale (aka Digital Farm Animals) looks back on making the garage-flavoured smash Don’t Play with Anne-Marie and KSI, while the brand newMentor Me page - a collaboration between Music Week and Girls I Rate - features career tips from music video director Gabriella Kingsley.
In this month's Big Story, we speak to Warner Music UK international marketing SVP Victor Aroldoss and his team, including Greg Ojo and Liberty Wilson, about the major's export success with superstar acts Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Coldplay, as well as with breakthrough British artists PinkPantheress, Joel Corry, Griff, Tion Wayne, Pa Salieu and more.
Our spotlight Q&A features Oana Ruxandra, Warner Music’s chief digital officer and EVP of business development, who discusses the major's big moves in NFTs, gaming and the metaverse.
Elsewhere in news, we chart the rapid rise of Swiss fintech company Utopia Music with chief operating officer Roberto Neri, who talks acquisitions, big data and opportunities for growing music royalties for artists and rights-holders.
On the radar this month is Debbie, 0207 Def Jam’s new star. In our interview, the South Londoner discusses love songs, deep thinking and her wish to make music that lasts forever.
In Making Waves, we meet new Decca signing and TikTok star Ellie Dixon, while Sync Story features Burna Boy’s spot in the new series of Netflix’s critically-acclaimed Top Boy.
This month's Rising Star is Atlantic Records A&R manager Cannelle Bencherqi, and answering The Big Question is Musicians' Union general secretary Naomi Pohl, who explores how the music industry can protect safe spaces.
Also in Frontline, Start Me Up features blockchain music portal Family In Music, while the latest edition of In Pod We Trust stars Secretly Group’s new podcast, Secretly Society.
Sammy Andrews' regular Digital Discourse column explores the complex issue of the content boom in the music business, while in his latest Centre Stage dispatch, Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd weighs up the subject of reconnecting with live music after the pandemic.
And as ever, the expanded Archive section sees us flick through the pages of Music Week of yesteryear.
There’s all of this and our expanded monthly charts section, in which we present the Top 75 Singles and Albums of the previous month, accompanied by revamped analysis pages, plus a host of new listings. These include specialist genre Top 20s for Americana, Classical, Hip-Hop & R&B, Jazz, Country, Dance, Folk and Rock & Metal. The issue is also home to streaming, compilations and vinyl charts.
The new issue of Music Week is available from April 19.
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