Few artists loathe the music industry quite like Tom MacDonald.
The rebel rapper takes glee in taunting labels on his social media platforms. He recently posted a troll video in front of Sony Music headquarters, name-checking industry pariahs like R. Kelly and P. Diddy with a broad grin on his face.
And despite repeatedly crashing the Billboard music charts he’s refused to go corporate for a bigger promotional wallop.
MacDonald is solo to the core, with an assist from his girlfriend/video director Nova Rockafeller. No managers. No publicists. Just the music and his sizable social media flock.
The mind behind “Fake Woke,” “Snowflakes” and “American Flags” still felt influenced by mainstream superstars, from their branding efforts to songs that purport to dig deeper into their personal lives.
<div id="attachment_891745" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891745" class="size-large wp-image-891745" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &quot;Facts&quot; feat. Ben Shapiro" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/MixCollage-14-Mar-2025-10-16-AM-4499-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube/Tom MacDonald &#8220;Facts&#8221; feat. Ben Shapiro</div>
“As an independent artist, we’re all watching what the biggest artists in the world are doing and what they sound like,” he says. “Even if you’re somebody like me who detests the major label system, you’re taking information in. You’re being indoctrinated … they must know what’s best.”
It took a while to shake free from that thinking, something he accomplished on his latest album.
“Proud to Be a Problem” finds the Canadian native opening up about his life in ways he never did before.
“I’ve never really been good with processing my emotions and explaining the way I’m feeling to other people… it’s the reason why I make music,” the California-based musician says.
<div id="attachment_915575" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915575" class="size-large wp-image-915575" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-574-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
Time and maturity have let him tap into something vital and deeply personal, witness tracks like “Hell &amp; Back.”
<blockquote>I&#8217;ve been called a loser since first day of 2nd grade 
I&#8217;ve been an alcoholic with one foot inside the grave 
And I&#8217;ve been brave enough to say that I&#8217;m afraid I&#8217;m not okay 
And I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;ll survive another day</blockquote>
Other tracks, like “Man in the Sky,” merge MacDonald’s protest-singer DNA with heartfelt pleas for empathy. He’s an imperfect vessel in an imperfect world.
The musician’s flaws, like his signature tattoos, are visible to all. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/goodbye-joe-god-bless-the-usa-top-digital-song-sales-chart-after-election-1235825769/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">So are his successes</a>.
His post-election song “Goodbye Joe” gave him his <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/goodbye-joe-god-bless-the-usa-top-digital-song-sales-chart-after-election-1235825769/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth number-one ranking</a> on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, following “Fake Woke,” “Ghost” and “You Missed.”
His YouTube channel boasts 5 million subscribers and most videos eclipse the million-view mark in days, not weeks.
MacDonald, whose recent pairings include songs with Roseanne Barr (“Daddy’s Home”) and The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro (“Facts”), sounds a little different on the new album. He isn’t giving up on rap, but the newer material offers a rootsy feel, brimming with acoustic guitars.
<div id="attachment_915573" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915573" class="size-large wp-image-915573" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-57-AM-7387-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
That singing style hearkens back to his earliest days as a musician. He remembers riding in the car with his father as a boy when he came up with a jingle for Ford.
“[My Dad] was bewildered … where did that come from?” MacDonald recalls. 
He started writing music more often, but he felt he didn’t have the classic rock voice, a la Robert Plant or Joe Cocker, to execute the material. “I had to do something else. I was writing poetry, a primitive form of rap. That’s how the rap thing started,” he says.
“Problem” found him more confident in his singing, allowing him to expand his sound in the process.
“I know where my boundaries are and what I’m capable of singing on a song &#8230; if I don’t do it right now I won’t have a good enough excuse to give it a good shot [later],” he says.
Fans can pick up “Proud to Be a Problem” at MacDonald’s official web site, <a href="https://hangovergangofficial.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HangoverGangOfficial.com</a>. That’s part of his indie approach, lashing out at a streaming landscape that pays little to participating artists.
“I have such a big chip on my shoulder for the music industry,” he says, recalling a brush with a major label earlier in his career that ended in rejection. “I’ve done enough for these streaming platforms.”
“A big part of the reason I put the singles on streaming is we keep going to no. 1 on Billboard [charts] … it’s a giant f***ing middle finger to the music industry,” he says.
<div id="attachment_915581" style="width: 334px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915581" class="wp-image-915581 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-324x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Instagram/@TomMacDonaldOfficial" width="324" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-324x576.jpg 324w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-169x300.jpg 169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-864x1536.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-12-10-PM-5842.jpg 1440w" sizes="(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px" />Screenshot: Instagram/@TomMacDonaldOfficial</div>
That solo spirit extends beyond the music on “Problem.” He designed the merchandise around the released, mailed signed LP copies of it to fans personally and oversaw every part of the production.
“It hasn’t been touched by Hollywood. That’s the way I want it,” he says.
He shared his feelings about sending out signed copies of “Proud to Be a Problem” to fans on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJIdKXgPXX0/?img_index=1">Instagram account</a>:
<blockquote>I gotta tell y’all &#8211; people didn’t care about me for most of my life. I was one of the forgotten people whose voice was drown out by the noise of the world. Every single day I’m shocked that you guys care about me enough to want my album and my signature. I’m shocked…but I’m thrilled. I felt like a “nobody” for so long that every day I wake up expecting to be forgotten again. Every day that y’all remember me, you prove me wrong. And you absolutely make my day. No one should ever feel like a nobody. But it happens.</blockquote>
That personal connection reflects being a music fan growing up in Canada. He fondly remembers lining up at the local record store and waiting for the newest albums to go on sale.
“When you got that album .. you felt like you might be one of the only people in the world who had it,” he says. “You could hold on to it, a physical product … That’s the way I want my music to be experienced.”
Record labels still reach out to MacDonald about potential deals, and he sometimes will listen to the conversation. Then, he’ll share his reactions on Instagram.
“I’ve been trolling these people for years and years,” he says. “I’d rather roll around on broken glass [than sign onto a label].”
<div id="attachment_915577" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-915577" class="size-large wp-image-915577" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-03-May-2025-11-58-AM-5929-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: YouTube.com/Tom MacDonald.</div>
MacDonald leveraged new media and a collective mistrust of the mainstream to power his music career. Somewhere a fledgling singer/songwriter might want to follow in his shoes, avoiding corporate overlords to make music on their terms.
MacDonald has some clichéd but honest advice for the next generation of indie musicians.
“Just be yourself … there’s always gonna be a better producer, a better rapper, a better singer. You’re the only person on earth who can do you better than anybody else,” he says. “The entire world is fake and bulls*** and disingenuous. The best way to cut through all that noise is to be honest and scream your truth at the top of your lungs … people gravitate towards the truth and what’s real.”
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Millions Of Views And Fiercely Independent. Inside The Mind Of Tom MacDonald.

Conservatives

Entertainment

Music

Music Industry

Rapper

Tom MacDonald

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that targeted ticket resellers and scalpers who profit from jacking up the prices.
Recording artist Kid Rock joined the president for the signing. The order directs the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to team up with state attorneys general to enforce laws that prevent entertainers and fans from being overcharged and price gouged by resellers, per <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5224370-trump-executive-order-ticket-scalping-reselling/amp/">The Hill</a>.
The EO also highlights the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act and promotes it being enforced by consumer protection authorities.
It also ensures price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchasing process, including the secondary ticket market, as a better protection for concertgoers. The EO says it will take action to prevent &#8220;unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct&#8221; in the secondary ticketing market.
&#8220;Anyone who&#8217;s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years, no matter what your politics are, knows it is a conundrum,&#8221; Kid Rock, who was decked out in red, white, and blue, told reporters. 
&#8220;If you buy a ticket for 100 bucks by the time you check it out, it&#8217;s 170. You don&#8217;t know what you can charge for it, but more importantly, these bots you know, they come in to get all the good tickets to your favorite shows you want to go to, and then they&#8217;re relisted immediately for sometimes a 4 or 500% markup.&#8221; 
Kid Rock explained that the artists &#8220;don&#8217;t see any of that money.&#8221;  
“It bothers him, it bothers a lot of other artists too,” Trump said of Kid Rock. 
Trump mentioned tackling high concert ticket prices while on the campaign trail last year.
“Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on. We support any meaningful resale reforms — including more enforcement of the BOTS act, caps on resale prices, and more,” Live Nation Entertainment told The Daily Wire in a statement on Tuesday morning.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino echoed that sentiment in an X <a href="https://x.com/Michael_Rapino/status/1906842969078120667">post</a> thanking President Trump and Kid Rock for &#8220;taking ticket-scalping head on.&#8221;
&nbsp;

Kid Rock and Trump

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Ticket Scalpers And Resellers

President Trump Signs EO Targeting Ticket Scalpers And Resellers

concert

Donald Trump

Executive Orders

Kid Rock

Politics

This year’s nominees for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame</a> were announced on Wednesday and included a mix of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">genres</a>, from country to rock, pop, punk, and others. 
To become eligible, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">performers</a> must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years ago. About half of the nominees will be inducted based on who gets the most votes. Ballots are sent to more than 1,000 &#8220;rock experts&#8221; who evaluate the candidates and decide which names on the list deserve to be added.
&#8220;These remarkable nominees have each created their own musical style and attitude impacting generations of music lovers and contributing to the ever-evolving sounds and continued growth of rock &amp; roll,&#8221; said John Sykes, the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame Foundation&#8217;s chairman, in a statement shared with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/12/nx-s1-5293515/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2025-nominees">NPR</a>. 
Voting begins now and the finalists will be revealed in April, with a ceremony to follow in the fall. The full list of nominees is as follows: 
<ul>
<li>Bad Company</li>
<li>The Black Crowes</li>
<li>Mariah Carey</li>
<li>Chubby Checker</li>
<li>Joe Cocker</li>
<li>Billy Idol</li>
<li>Joy Division/New Order</li>
<li>Cyndi Lauper</li>
<li>Maná</li>
<li>Oasis</li>
<li>OutKast</li>
<li>Phish</li>
<li>Soundgarden</li>
<li>The White Stripes</li>
</ul>
BBC News noted that the British pop band Oasis was also nominated last year but ultimately didn’t get inducted. The band’s lead singer Liam Gallagher spoke harshly about the Hall of Fame at the time, telling potential voters, &#8220;Don’t waste your time&#8230; as much as it’s appreciated it’s all a load of bollox.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t need some w**k award by some geriatric in a cowboy hat,&#8221; Gallagher <a href="https://www.musicradar.com/news/liam-gallagher-oasis-rock-hall-of-fame">added</a>.
Mariah Carey was also nominated and not inducted last year and is on the ballot once again. “My thoughts are: I didn’t get in,&#8221; she said at the time. &#8220;My lawyer got into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame before I did,” the pop star quipped, referring to entertainment lawyer Alan Grubman, who was inducted in 2022.
Last year’s inductees included Cher, Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick, A Tribe Called Quest, and Kool and the Gang.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Announced: See The List

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Announced: See The List

Rock and Roll

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beyonce">Beyoncé</a> won for the first time ever in the highly lauded Album of the Year category at Sunday night’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/grammys">Grammy Awards</a> and became the first black artist to win Best Country Album with &#8220;Cowboy Carter.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in a place as artists.&#8221;
The 43-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">pop star</a> took home top honors for her country album. Other nominees for Album of the Year included Andre 3000, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Jacob Collier, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé began her acceptance speech by saying she’d “like to thank and acknowledge and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe.” Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department were still on the stage after presenting her with the award.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="BEYONCÉ Wins ALBUM OF THE YEAR For &#039;COWBOY CARTER&#039; | 2025 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uEyGYjlzbA0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
“Cowboy Carter,” a multi-genre album, was released in March and received mostly positive reviews. However, it was not nominated for any Country Music Association Awards last year.
Beyoncé was also nominated for nine other Grammy awards, making her the most-nominated artist in Grammy history.
Cowboy Carter was in no way a shoo-in as fans speculated that Swift, Eilish, Charlie xcx and hot new star Chappell Roan would offer tough competition for Album of the Year. 
Despite Swift&#8217;s massive popularity and the success of her Eras tour, which wrapped up this year, she did not win any Grammys last night.

Beyonce

Beyoncé Wins Album Of The Year And Best Country Album For ‘Cowboy Carter’

Beyoncé Wins Album Of The Year And Best Country Album For 'Cowboy Carter' 

Country Music

Grammy Awards

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/musician">Music industry</a> celebs Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Marshmello, and others are being accused of misusing funds distributed during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19">COVID</a> pandemic meant to help struggling artists survive ongoing shutdowns.
An extensive <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lil-wayne-chris-brown-covid-relief-funds-svog-grant-2024-12">report</a> from Business Insider noted that these musicians applied for and received funds after President Donald Trump signed the grant into law in 2020. Other musicians and groups mentioned in the report include Alice in Chains, Shinedown, hip hop duo Rae Sremmerd, and Steve Aoki.
The Shuttered Venue Operations Grant (SVOG) allowed artists to collect up to $10 million to cover “ordinary and necessary” expenses. As part of the agreement, they were required to make a good-faith statement to the Small Business Administration and show that their companies had lost a minimum of 25% of revenue between one quarter in 2019 and the same quarter in 2020, the outlet noted.
The report accused Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr., of accepting $8.9 million through the SVOG and spending $1.3 million on private jets, more than $460,000 on designer clothes, and $2.14 million to pay a debt he owed to his former manager. He also stands accused of spending more than $175,000 on a music festival promoting his marijuana brand, GKUA.
BI alleged that Brown collected $10 million for his company, CBE Touring. From that, the rapper reportedly paid himself $5.1 million. He also reportedly used $80,000 to host his birthday party. 
Marshmello, whose real name is Christopher Comstock, was approved for a $9.9 million grant, the outlet noted. That money was allegedly all given to him as salary, which was permitted under grant conditions because it did not exceed the amount of money he made the previous year.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734465856887000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0yoXh27k1XJufgc_qcfvEq">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
DJ and record producer Aoki’s company, DJ Kid Millionaire Touring, allegedly spent $2.4 million of their approved grant money on payroll, including a $1.9 million chunk for Aoki himself. 
Shinedown band members reportedly took $8.3 million total and split $2.5 million three ways to pay themselves. Rae Sremmurd allegedly took $7.7 million in all.
The outlet noted that 13,000 groups received money from SVOG. The SVOG <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/shuttered-venue-operators-grant/about-svog">website</a> says the program included more than $16 billion in grants. Originally, musicians weren’t eligible for the grants, but that decision was later changed.
As of Thursday, none of the artists mentioned in the article had responded to requests for comment or publicly discussed the accusations.

Lil Wayne

Rappers, Musicians Accused Of Using COVID Grants For Private Jets And Parties: Report

Chris Brown

COVID

There was a mildly successful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkzAgsOQJQE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercial</a> back in 2016 where LeBron James was promoting Sprite. He keeps looking into the camera and saying, &#8220;I won&#8217;t tell you to drink a Sprite.&#8221; It&#8217;s supposed to be engaging and funny because you see, normally, when celebrities appear in advertisements, they tell you to buy a product. But here you had LeBron James, appearing in a Sprite commercial, refusing to endorse Sprite. It really subverted everyone&#8217;s expectations.
Reverse psychology like this has become popular in advertising because the typical direct, straightforward celebrity endorsement doesn&#8217;t have the same impact that it once did. This is also why the idea of &#8220;reverse endorsements&#8221; has become a thing. This is when a company puts a celebrity on its board of directors to make them seem really invested in the company, when it&#8217;s basically a no-show job. Derek Jeter had a &#8220;reverse endorsement&#8221; <a href="https://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/2016/10/18/jeter-endorsement-dispute-examines-role-as-a-director-of-apparel-company/?srsltid=AfmBOopnBt1NPpb0WFiFsazkLNHD4cPHVt___A7Xqh7cNIaYkWtRI7QP&amp;slreturn=20241107193919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal</a> with a company called RevolutionWear, that makes some kind of high-tech underwear. It all fell apart and ended in lawsuits when the company collapsed, because the world of high-tech underwear is apparently extremely cutthroat.
But the point is, this underwear company thought they&#8217;d get more value out of presenting Derek Jeter as a &#8220;director&#8221; of the company, rather than just going with the normal, direct celebrity endorsement. There are about a million other examples of this, because the memo has gone out. In the entertainment world, traditional celebrity endorsements aren&#8217;t as interesting as they used to be. If you want a celebrity endorsement to have an impact, you have to get creative with it. And even then, most people probably still won&#8217;t care.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1482-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
The only people who haven&#8217;t gotten this memo are in politics. Political endorsements by celebrities are all the same. They&#8217;re unconvincing, uncreative and patronizing. And yet for some reason, pundits and political strategists on the Left genuinely believe that these endorsements are game-changing. They think that, once the normal person hears one of these endorsements, they undergo a form of mind control where they&#8217;re hopeless to resist.
I&#8217;ve shared part of this clip before, but it&#8217;s worth seeing again because it may be the single best reaction video from MSNBC after they realized Trump was winning. This is Joy Reid trying to process how Donald Trump could have possibly defeated Kamala Harris. After all, Kamala Harris ran a &#8220;flawless campaign.&#8221; And as evidence of the proposition that Kamala Harris ran a &#8220;flawless campaign,&#8221; Joy Reid cites all of Kamala Harris&#8217; celebrity endorsements. This is footage that belongs in a museum for future historians studying the downfall of the Democrat Party and the corporate press. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If you still haven&#39;t figured out the problem with the legacy media, this comment by Joy Ann Reid should set you straight. Reid says Harris ran a &quot;flawless&quot; campaign to the point that Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and &quot;even&quot; Queen Latifah who never endorses anyone, endorsed Harris. <a href="https://t.co/N8IwIplhKn">pic.twitter.com/N8IwIplhKn</a>
&mdash; Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) <a href="https://twitter.com/rupasubramanya/status/1854191530400997546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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There&#8217;s a lot to consider in that clip, but really at this point you can&#8217;t be mad at Joy Reid. Everyone knows she is what we may call, politely, a very special person. What&#8217;s kind of remarkable is that everyone else on the panel — people who are extremely partisan, but not clinically insane — just nod along when she makes this claim. She&#8217;s suggesting that a political endorsement by Queen Latifah is so rare and enigmatic that, if a candidate should ever obtain it, then that candidate must be blessed by the gods. That candidate would be destined to win. I guess that makes sense. She is royalty after all.
But that was a moment that should&#8217;ve been a bridge too far, even for an MSNBC panel. For one thing, the premise isn&#8217;t even true. We&#8217;re talking about the same &#8220;Queen Latifah&#8221; who performed at Obama&#8217;s inauguration after telling people to vote for hope and change. And then she did a skit with Kamala Harris just a few months ago at the &#8220;NAACP Image Awards,&#8221; telling everyone to register to vote because otherwise Trump will win. Yes, this is the Queen Latifah that supposedly never gets involved in politics.
But on top of that, even if we pretend Queen Latifah never gets involved in politics, the idea that her endorsement will sway anyone — or that it&#8217;s a sign of a &#8220;flawless campaign&#8221; — suggests that Democrats are suffering from a level of delusion that is truly unprecedented. And that becomes even more apparent when you look at this vaunted Queen Latifah endorsement they&#8217;re talking about. 
She just sits in a chair and, instead of talking about makeup, she reads off some talking points from Kamala Harris&#8217; campaign. Watch:
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Today, so much is on the line.
On one hand, we have HIM, a felon, a comfortable liar, an impeached president, a misogynist, and a non-leader who doesn’t care about anyone, but the top 1%&#8230;which excludes over 300M Americans.
And on the other hand, we have HER, Kamala Harris, a… <a href="https://t.co/6EhUwaa2z9">pic.twitter.com/6EhUwaa2z9</a>
&mdash; Queen Latifah (@IAMQUEENLATIFAH) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAMQUEENLATIFAH/status/1853728277447446780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
One of the many amusing things about this video is the comments section, and how it differs depending on the platform. If you go on Instagram, a lot of the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/queenlatifah/reel/DB-94jSRJtS/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comments</a> are pretty supportive. There&#8217;s people posting heart emojis everywhere, saying it&#8217;s a powerful message, and how Queen Latifah is their hero and so on. One person wrote, &#8220;I’m going to always love you Queen Latifah ! Never change.&#8221;
And then you go on X, and it&#8217;s a completely different scenario. It&#8217;s like stepping out of a country club and into the Vietnam War. The top <a href="https://x.com/hodgetwins/status/1853816198627999886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comment</a> is, &#8220;Did you go to the Diddy parties too?&#8221; The next <a href="https://x.com/apst_paul_Adams/status/1853752752205111495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one</a> is, &#8220;How much were you paid?&#8221; And then <a href="https://x.com/VernonForGA/status/1853770039305945296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">there&#8217;s</a>, &#8220;Another weak man for Kamala.&#8221; It&#8217;s just brutal, if also hilarious, and completely justified.
It&#8217;s yet another reason the Left wants to destroy X. People on X generally reflect what&#8217;s going on in the country. But if you spend all your time on Reddit or Instagram, you might end up like Joy Reid. You might have thought Kamala Harris had this in the bag. After all, Queen Latifah&#8217;s on her side, and everyone else on the platform loves it. And then you go on X and everyone&#8217;s wondering how much she was paid.
Now, to be clear, I&#8217;m not saying Queen Latifah was paid for this endorsement. I would never suggest such a thing. But in general, it is worth noting that the Kamala Harris campaign raised something like $1 billion dollars, and they ended the campaign in debt by $20 million dollars. They had $120 million in the bank just a month ago, and now they&#8217;re in the red. And a lot of that money probably did go to some celebrity performances, like the one Megan Thee Stallion did at a Kamala rally. But in any event, it&#8217;s clear that this was a horribly managed campaign in every respect. So it&#8217;s not exactly unthinkable that these people truly thought an endorsement by Queen Latifah would help them win. They really seemed to think that people wanted to see stuff like this.
That would explain why they courted the endorsement of Cardi B, who&#8217;s so illiterate that it actually caused problems for the campaign. Mid-endorsement, her teleprompter went out, so she couldn&#8217;t say anything until someone ran up with a phone containing her prepared statement. Watch:
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🔥🚨BREAKING: Rapper Cardi B’s teleprompter broke when she took the stage at Kamala Harris rally in Wisconsin and Cardi had to wait in front of a live audience for over a minute until a stranger brought her a cell phone with a script. This tells you everything you need to know. <a href="https://t.co/kKL7q1lw35">pic.twitter.com/kKL7q1lw35</a>
&mdash; Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1852543848959905827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
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You have to wonder, again, who this is supposed to impress. Even if she had read all of that perfectly, who exactly is supposed to care about this? What demographic are they targeting?
Whatever they were going for, it didn&#8217;t work. Pretty much the only demographic group that Kamala Harris won on Tuesday, according to exit polls, was the same group Joy Reid belongs to: black women. She won by something like 92%. It&#8217;s a two-percent improvement from Joe Biden two years ago. But both of these numbers are actually low, by Democrats&#8217; standards. Obama got more than 95% of the vote from black women. Hillary Clinton got 94%. So if anything, there&#8217;s some evidence that endorsements like this aren&#8217;t really helping, even among Democrats&#8217; most loyal constituency.
The Guardian certainly seems to think there&#8217;s a good chance these endorsements aren&#8217;t helping anywhere. They just ran a big article that explores the question of why all these celebrities, from Bruce Springsteen to George Clooney to Taylor Swift, may have actually been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/nov/06/celebrity-endorsements-didnt-help-kamala-harris-taylor-swift-beyonce">counterproductive</a>: 
<blockquote>A poll from YouGov shortly after [Taylor] Swift’s endorsement found that only 8% of voters would be &#8216;somewhat&#8217; or &#8216;much more&#8217; likely to vote for Harris – with a surprising 20% saying the endorsement actually made them less likely to vote for her.</blockquote>
Yes, as we talked about at the time, Taylor Swift&#8217;s endorsement might have made people less likely to support Kamala Harris. And there&#8217;s evidence this took the Harris campaign by surprise. 
The article also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/nov/06/celebrity-endorsements-didnt-help-kamala-harris-taylor-swift-beyonce">states</a>:
<blockquote>Back in July, Charli xcx posted a three-word tweet that some commentators thought might help swing the US election. Arriving the day after Kamala Harris announced her bid for the presidency, Charli’s tweet said simply: &#8216;Kamala IS Brat.&#8217; It was a reference to Charli’s latest album, Brat, which had dominated the pop cultural landscape &#8230; The overall meaning was clear: Kamala was the presidential candidate with the most energy and authenticity. &#8230;. The Harris campaign leaned into the endorsement, changing the backdrop of its official X page to the same garish green colour used on the record’s sleeve. &#8230; Yet as the dust settles on an extremely depressing election result, it appears clear that not only did Charli xcx’s tweet have no meaningful impact on the election result, nor did the endorsement of any celebrity.</blockquote>
This was a big problem for Kamala because, to the extent she had a campaign strategy at all, it hinged almost entirely on endorsements. Kamala was endorsed by all of the most famous celebrities in Hollywood and the music industry. It paid off with a crushing and historic defeat. Why might that be?
Unlike the panel on MSNBC, I&#8217;ll answer that question. For one thing, as I mentioned earlier, celebrity endorsements in general aren&#8217;t that effective anymore. But they&#8217;re particularly ineffective right now, when inflation is high and people are struggling to afford essentials. In an economic environment like that, Americans aren&#8217;t particularly interested in sermons from obscenely wealthy entertainers — not that they&#8217;re all that interested even in a good economy.
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The other problem is that the power of celebrity in general has been massively watered down in recent years. There are just so many of them that even the biggest ones (like Taylor Swift or Beyonce) don&#8217;t have the kind of culture-changing impact that Michael Jackson or Elvis had decades ago. When a woman can become famous by saying &#8220;Hawk Tuah,&#8221; the whole concept of a &#8220;celebrity&#8221; loses a lot of its luster. 
This has been obvious to everyone for some time, which is why a lot of celebrities have found new ways to endorse products, like those &#8220;reverse endorsement&#8221; deals that I mentioned. But apparently, it wasn&#8217;t obvious to the Kamala Harris campaign. They believed, in all seriousness, that amassing a bunch of these vapid, cookie-cutter endorsements would win them the election. They thought Americans cared so little about substance that they&#8217;d vote for a candidate who can barely articulate a coherent thought, all because of the endorsements of some other morons who also can&#8217;t articulate coherent thoughts. After what happened on Tuesday, there&#8217;s no one — except maybe MSNBC anchors — who seriously thinks that these celebrities have any sway over anyone anymore.

Kamala Harris Campaigns Across Wisconsin In Final Days Of Campaign

Celebrity Endorsements Are Dead, And Kamala Proved It

2024 Election

actors

Celebrities

Celebrity

Derek Jeter

Joy Reid

Matt Walsh

MSNBC

Opinion

Taylor Swift

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Music</a> legend Quincy Jones <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/death">died</a> at his Los Angeles home on Sunday night at the age of 91. The longtime music industry pro won 28 Grammys out of 80 nominations and is best known for helping Michael Jackson evolve into an international superstar.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the Jones family said in a statement. 
The announcement continued, “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him. He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”
Jones was born on March 14, 1933, and grew up in Chicago. He began his seven-decade musical career as a trumpet player performing with jazz musicians such as Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie.
In addition to the King of Pop, Jones worked with several other icons, including Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Aretha Franklin. 
The tributes poured in on social media. Rapper LL Cool J shared on Instagram that Jones was “a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King.”
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“You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom,” the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB8cBDcRyKU/">post</a> went on. “Music would not be music without you. My condolences to the entire family. I love you. Rest in the sweetest music eternally.”
Actor Colman Domingo starred in a remake of “The Color Purple” in 2023. Jones, who scored the 1985 version, served as producer on the film along with Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg.
“I was so thrilled to meet Mr. American Music himself. I literally kneeled because he was a King,&#8221; Domingo wrote of meeting Jones. &#8220;Thank you Mr. Quincy Jones for giving us all the sound.”
The musician is survived by seven children and three grandchildren. He was the godfather of his namesake, the actor and musician Quincy Brown.

Quincy Jones

Music Industry Legend Quincy Jones Dies At 91

Death

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">music industry</a> is mourning the tragic loss of former One Direction band member Liam Payne, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/death">died </a>after falling from a balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. He was 31.
“Words cannot express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat,” the official Backstreet Boys account <a href="https://x.com/backstreetboys/status/1846742830447829066">posted</a> on X. “Our hearts go out to Liam’s family, friends and Directioners around the world.”
“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne. He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world,” the account for “The X Factor” <a href="https://x.com/TheXFactor/status/1846837093026115648">posted</a>.
Anne Twist, mom of One Direction bandmate Harry Styles, posted a broken heart photo on Instagram and included the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBNIp_1ITDv/">caption</a>, “Just a boy…”
&#8220;The worst news. I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dermotoleary/p/DBM_0G9Nvw6/">wrote</a> “X Factor” host Dermot O’Leary.
&#8220;He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx.&#8221;
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“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he’s gone,” singer Charlie Puth <a href="https://variety.com/2024/music/news/liam-payne-tributes-hollywood-one-direction-death-1236180400/">wrote</a> on his Instagram story, per Variety. “I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace.”
Simon Cowell, a former judge on “The X Factor” who was responsible for getting One Direction signed, canceled auditions for “Britain’s Got Talent” on Wednesday evening. He has not yet issued a public statement on Payne’s death.
The British celebrity got his break in the music industry after appearing on “The X Factor” in 2008. He returned to the reality competition show two years later along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, the singers who would become the popular band One Direction. 
The band developed a massive following, releasing popular singles such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life” between the years of 2010 and 2016. In more recent years, the members, including Payne, have worked on solo projects with varying degrees of success. 
The late singer is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear.

Liam Payne

Music Industry Mourns Loss Of One Direction’s Liam Payne: ‘Just A Boy’

Music Industry Mourns Loss Of One Direction's Liam Payne: 'Just A Boy'

Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died after reportedly falling from a balcony in Argentina, multiple outlets confirmed on Wednesday.
The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/liam-payne-dies-one-direction-6b7893a56e0d8701096775f611399dd8">Associated Press</a> reported that Payne was found after falling from the third floor balcony and into a courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires. Officials at the scene declined to comment regarding whether they believed the fall had been intentional or accidental in nature.
Local authorities also confirmed that there would be an autopsy and a full investigation into the circumstances of Payne’s death. He was in Argentina to watch his former bandmate, Niall Horan, perform.
Shortly after the news broke, tributes began to flood X for the late singer.
“We are extremely shocked and heartbroken to hear this news. Sending our love to his family, friends and fans around the world,” I Heart Radio posted.
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BREAKING: Liam Payne has died at the age of 31 after reportedly falling from a balcony in Argentina. We are extremely shocked and heartbroken to hear this news. Sending our love to his family, friends and fans around the world. 💔 <a href="https://t.co/KQMzOvPbPW">pic.twitter.com/KQMzOvPbPW</a>
&mdash; iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/iHeartRadio/status/1846670667854331904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“What an appalling tragedy and waste of life. Liam Payne was always the most mature member of One Direction in those heady early days. He was a joy to be around. The music industry is truly evil. 
My thoughts to his poor family, band mates and fans who will be devastated,” Dan Wootton added.
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What an appalling tragedy and waste of life. Liam Payne was always the most mature member of One Direction in those heady early days. He was a joy to be around. The music industry is truly evil. My thoughts to his poor family, band mates and fans who will be devastated. <a href="https://t.co/eq4ilXBDZN">pic.twitter.com/eq4ilXBDZN</a>
&mdash; Dan Wootton (@danwootton) <a href="https://twitter.com/danwootton/status/1846669395843862584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing,” Paris Hilton posted. “Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend.”
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So upsetting to hear the news of <a href="https://twitter.com/LiamPayne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LiamPayne</a> passing😢 Sending love and condolences to his family &amp; loved ones. 🙏 RIP my friend🥺
&mdash; Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisHilton/status/1846671657513243129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Payne <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/former-direction-star-liam-payne-dies-after-fall-114872963">came forward</a> in 2023 to discuss his struggle with addiction, releasing a YouTube video after spending just over three months at a Louisiana rehab facility. At the time, he announced that he’d been sober for six months.
After finishing rehab, he said that he had “more of a grip on life” and had planned to focus on being a better father to son Bear, whom he shares with singer Cheryl Cole.

Liam Payne, Former One Direction Member, Dead At 31

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rock-and-roll">Sum 41</a> frontman Deryck Whibley has accused his former manager and mentor Greig Nori of sexual and verbal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sexual-abuse">abuse,</a> starting when Whibley was a teenager.
The Canadian-born singer discusses the allegations as part of his upcoming memoir, “Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell,” which was released on Tuesday. Nori is the frontman of the Canadian band Treble Charger. The two met when Whibley was 16 and Nori was 34, per <a href="https://people.com/sum-41-deryck-whibley-claims-former-manager-sexually-abused-him-8724712">People</a>.
Whibley claimed Nori spoke of a “special connection” they shared and was the first person to give him alcohol. Nori served as a musical inspiration for Sum 41 and eventually became the band&#8217;s manager.
&#8220;Greig had one requirement to be our manager — he wanted total control,” Whibley asserted in the book. “We couldn’t talk to anyone but him, because the music business is ‘full of snakes and liars’ and he was the only person we could trust.”
Whibley accused Nori of “passionately” kissing him when he was 18. The singer claims to have told Nori that he was not gay. Nori allegedly responded by saying most rock stars are “queer&#8221; and that &#8220;most people are bisexual; they’re just too afraid to admit it,” according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-10-07/sum-41s-deryck-whibley-alleges-sexual-abuse-by-former-manager-in-new-memoir-walking-disaster">Los Angeles Times</a>. They began to have sexual encounters, Whibley claimed.
&#8220;He was so relentless and convincing that after a while, I started to believe that maybe he was right,&#8221; Whibley wrote in his memoir.
 Nori also allegedly told Whibley that he wasn&#8217;t gay either, but said Whibley &#8220;brought it out in him because what we had was so special.&#8221; Whibley wrote about how Nori became angry and called him “homophobic” for trying to end the sexual encounters.
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&#8220;He told me this was all my fault to begin with because I should never have said yes to it in the first place. I started this and now he was in it with me so I couldn’t just stop,&#8221; Whibley wrote in the book. 
The Sum 41 singer said he told his ex-wife, singer Avril Lavigne, about the abuse while they were dating and also told his current wife, model Ariana Cooper. He said both women agreed that Nori’s alleged behavior was abusive. 
Whibley wrote that Cooper said, “He groomed you from a young teen and mentally forced you. You said no, you didn’t want to do this anymore, and he told you it had to continue or you would lose everything. That’s psychological, mental, and physical abuse.”
The recording artist wrote about how the alleged sexual abuse ended but verbal abuse continued until Nori was fired by the band in 2004.

Deryck Whibley

Punk Rocker Accuses Former Manager Of Sexual And Verbal Abuse

Sexual Abuse

World

Legendary British rock band <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Pink Floyd</a> has agreed to sell its music rights and name-and-likeness rights to Sony Music for approximately $400 million after years of speculation.
Sources confirmed the news to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/music/news/pink-floyd-sells-music-rights-to-sony-400-million-1236165925/">Variety</a> on Wednesday. The deal was made after years of disagreements between band <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">songwriters</a> Roger Waters and David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, and the estates of keyboardist Richard Wright and singer-songwriter Roger “Syd” Barrett, one of the band’s founding members.
Name and likeness rights will include all merchandising rights, making this one of the most lucrative deals in the industry. The Pink Floyd recorded music catalog includes popular albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon,” “The Wall,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Animals,” “Meddle,” “Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” “More,” and others.
The outlet noted that Pink Floyd’s catalog has been for sale for years with an asking price of $500 million. However, the sale was complicated by infighting among band members and the public’s opinion of Roger Waters making controversial political statements against both Israel and Ukraine, which is rumored to have made potential buyers hesitant to close the deal. 
Waters also <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/roger-waters-ukrainian-kill-list-1234604081/">told</a> Rolling Stone during a 2022 interview that the United States is “the most evil [country in the world] of all by a factor of at least 10 times.”
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Pink Floyd was formed in London in 1965 and is considered one of the most progressive rock bands of all time. The band has gone through a lot of drama over the years as disagreements raged among the members. Wright left Pink Floyd in 1981, and Waters followed in 1985. Wright later came back and rejoined.
The albums “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall” were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. These two LPs, along with “Wish You Were Here,” are among the best-selling albums of all time. In total, Pink Floyd’s albums have sold 75 million copies in the U.S., making it the 10th most of any artist, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
The acquisition of Pink Floyd’s catalog is one of several high-profile buys for Sony, who also recently acquired Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Queen’s non-North American rights in the past few years, per Variety.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd Music Rights Acquired By Sony For $400M: Report

Business

An unidentified <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas">Texas</a> man purchased a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">guitar</a> autographed by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a> during a charity auction, only to immediately destroy it with a hammer in front of the assembled crowd.
Videos of the incident recently circulated on social media. The white-haired gentleman had the winning bid for the $4,000 instrument at the Ellis County WildGame Dinner in Waxahachie, just outside of Dallas, on Saturday night, per <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/09/30/taylor-swift-autographed-guitar-auction-destroys-smashes/">TMZ</a>. 
The hosting organization is a “non-profit organization that raises money to benefit youth agricultural education,” the <a href="https://elliscountywgd.com/">website</a> noted.
The video shows the smiling man holding the instrument up in one hand, repeatedly smashing it with a hammer, and the crowd cheering him on. The auction winner next held the destroyed instrument over his head and appeared to consider requests for him to smash it on the ground, but ultimately, he just walked away with it as the auctioneer laughed. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This guy goes full savage mode on a signed Taylor Swift guitar he bought for $4,000 at an auction <a href="https://t.co/0q7Dj1TVBn">pic.twitter.com/0q7Dj1TVBn</a>
&mdash; Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/historyinmemes/status/1841074078074995127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Event organizers advertised the autographed guitar on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=513763321296398&amp;set=pb.100079882024600.-2207520000">Facebook</a> in September, promoting the idea that purchasing the personalized item was a “once in a life time[sic] opportunity.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
It’s not clear if the man’s actions were political in nature. But the event occurred shortly after Swift, 34, endorsed Kamala Harris for president. 
The “Shake It Off” singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reacts-to-taylor-swifts-kamala-endorsement">blew up social media</a> after the debate between Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Swift called the VP a “steady-handed, gifted leader&#8221; and said she was voting for the Democratic nominee because she was “impressed” by Harris “selection of running mate [Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz]” for what she labeled his “support for “LGBTQ+ rights” and abortion.
Trump has been openly critical of Swift on his Truth Social platform after the endorsement. “I actually like Mrs. Mahomes MUCH better, if you want to know the truth,” the former president said during an appearance on Fox &amp; Friends, referencing Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany Mahomes, a friend of Swift’s. Brittany made headlines after she liked a Trump post.
“She’s a big Trump fan,” he added. “I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was just a question of time. She couldn’t … you couldn’t possibly endorse [President Joe] Biden.”
Katie Jerkovich contributed to this report.

Smashed acoustic guitar

Texas Man Pays $4K For Taylor Swift-Signed Guitar At Auction, Smashes It With Hammer

Texas

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