Entertainment
Hallwood Signs ‘AI Music Designer’ imoliver to Record Deal, a First for the Music Business
Hallwood Media has signed imoliver — dubbed in a press release as the top-streaming “AI music designer” on AI music platform Suno — to a record deal, marking the first time a traditional label has signed an AI music creator to such a deal, it was announced Thursday (July 24).
To kick off the deal, imoliver will be releasing “Stone,” a song originally released on Suno, to all streaming services on Aug. 8. To date, the song has more than 3 million streams on Suno, a powerful and controversial platform that can generate songs at the click of a button. Given that some streaming services, including Spotify, still do not have any AI music-specific policies in place, imoliver is expected to generate streams like any other artist, unless he breaks other rules like impersonation, spamming, or artificial streaming.
Through imoliver’s new deal with Hallwood, he will gain new marketing, promotion and artist services to further his AI music to greater success. On Oct. 24, imoliver is also slated to drop his debut album. As the press release states: “In the coming weeks, Hallwood will release a series of new singles from the creator, supported by visual storytelling and audio content that will introduce this exciting new talent as well as help music fans better understand this new medium and appreciate how the role of music designer fits into the tapestry of creative music making in the age of AI.”
Hallwood Media is a multi-faceted music company, servicing talent through its recording, management, publishing, distribution and merch divisions. It is helmed (and founded) by former Geffen Records president Neil Jacobson, who has been a longtime advocate for innovation in the music business. Through his investing arm, Hallwood Media Ventures, which was founded in 2021 with partner Todd Lowen, Jacobson has helped fund Disco, Splice, Soundful and other music tech firms.
News of imoliver’s label deal comes just one day after Billboard published a story detailing the rise of a new class of music makers who earn a living from generating AI music and distributing it to social media and streaming services. Though these creators largely exist as outsiders to the music business — without signing traditional label deals, going on tour or selling merch — their AI-generated or assisted work does compete for royalty dollars with entirely human-made songs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. imoliver is the first of this class of AI music content creators to sign a record deal with an established music company like Hallwood.
Even though some AI music content creators make enough money to devote themselves to this full time, AI music still only accounts for a small sliver of the streaming pie. Deezer recently reported that AI songs only account for just 0.5% of streams on their platform, and “up to 70%” of plays of this type of material is artificial.
In a statement, Jacobson said of the deal: “imoliver represents the future of our medium. He’s a music designer who stands at the intersection of craftwork and taste. As we share his journey, the world will see the dexterity behind his work and what makes it so special. What he does is exactly why I love music and why we push boundaries at Hallwood.”
imoliver added that “signing with Hallwood is a huge moment, not just for me, but for the future of music. It’s a sign the industry is ready to embrace new ideas and new ways of creating. This isn’t about replacing artists, it’s about expanding what’s possible.”
Mikey Shulman, CEO of Suno, adds: “This is a milestone — not just for Oliver, Hallwood and Suno, but for the future of music. A new creator emerging from a new platform, making new kinds of content, shows that the future of music will be more vast and more inclusive than it is today. The boundaries of artistry are ever expanding.”
Kelly Osbourne is paying tribute to her father, Ozzy Osbourne, just days after his funeral.
On Friday (Aug. 1), the 40-year-old TV personality shared an NSFW photo on her Instagram Story in memory of the rock legend, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76.
The outdoor image featured a beautiful display of purple flowers arranged to spell out “Ozzy F—ing Osbourne,” set beside a serene pond surrounded by a rolling hill and trees.
In a second post, Kelly shared a heartfelt clip from The Osbournes, the MTV reality series that aired from 2002 to 2005. The snippet shows Ozzy lying in bed with his wife, Sharon Osbourne, offering words of wisdom.
“Listen, all you got to worry about is getting through today,” the Black Sabbath frontman says. “That’s all you got to worry about.”
Just days earlier, Kelly attended her father’s funeral procession in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where fans flooded the streets to pay their respects. Sharon, along with Ozzy’s other children — Aimeé and Jack — laid flowers at the Black Sabbath Bridge, which had been covered with tributes from mourners.
Shortly after Ozzy’s passing, Kelly posted another emotional tribute to her Instagram Story on July 24. “I feel unhappy I am so sad,” she wrote. “I lost the best friend I ever had,” the Fashion Police alum added, along with a heartbroken emoji. Her words echoed lyrics from Black Sabbath’s ballad “Changes,” which she and her father released as a duet in 2003.
Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76, just weeks after performing his final concert. His family confirmed the news in a joint statement. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” they wrote. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Just a month before his death, Kelly had honored her dad on Father’s Day with an Instagram post that included a slideshow of Ozzy spending time with her young son, Sidney, whom she shares with fiancé Sid Wilson.
“Happy Father’s Day daddy,” she wrote at the time. “I love you more than anyone or anything in the world! I am so proud to be your daughter and Beyond honored to watch you be the best #Papa in the world to my son!”
Donald Trump is once again addressing the possibility of granting a presidential pardon to Sean “Diddy” Combs.
During a Friday (Aug. 1) interview on Newsmax’s Finnerty, the president was asked whether he would consider pardoning Combs following his recent federal conviction. In early July, the Bad Boy Records mogul was found guilty of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, though he was acquitted of more serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering.
“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump told host Rob Finnerty. “He’s still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory.”
Trump also reflected on his past relationship with Combs, noting they were once “very friendly” and that he “got along with him great.” However, he said that dynamic shifted when he entered politics, describing Combs as having become “very hostile.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has commented on the case. During an Oval Office press briefing in late May, he was asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy whether he would consider a pardon for Combs. At the time, Trump said he’d “look at the facts,” acknowledging their former rapport while insisting personal feelings wouldn’t influence his decision.
“I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump said. “He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up. … I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
Combs’ partial acquittal followed seven weeks of testimony, including statements from singer Cassie Ventura, who accused him of abuse and trafficking during their relationship. Combs has denied all allegations. He now faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Oct. 3.
Watch Trump’s full response on Finnerty about pardoning Diddy in a clip posted on X.
Entertainment
Dead & Company Celebrate 60 Years of the Grateful Dead at Golden Gate Park: Every Song From Night 1
Tens of thousands of Deadheads descended on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Friday night for the first of Dead & Company‘s three weekend shows celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead. The shows were consequential not just for the anniversary they commemorated, but for fans of the group, which had not performed anywhere other than Las Vegas’ Sphere since July 2023, when it concluded its final tour.
After an opening set by jamgrass phenom Billy Strings, Dead & Company – comprised of Grateful Dead founders Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart, alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane – dove into its catalog with gusto for two crowd-pleasing sets that spanned material from the Dead’s 30-year career. Highlights included guest appearances by Grahame Lesh (for “Box of Rain,” the beloved Dead song written and sung by his late father, Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh) and Strings (for the Dead classic “Wharf Rat”), as well as a touching encore of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that honored the date, which would have been Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia’s 83rd birthday.
Dead & Company’s setlist choices on Friday leave plenty of options on the table for fans returning on Saturday and Sunday – the band rarely, if ever, repeats a song during these sorts of runs – including classics like “Touch of Grey,” “Casey Jones” and “Truckin’.” On Saturday, Sturgill Simpson will open the show under his “Johnny Blue Skies” moniker, while on Sunday, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio will kick off the festivities.
Here’s a look at Dead & Company’s full opening-night setlist for its three-show San Francisco run celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead.
Kelly Osbourne Honors Dad Ozzy Osbourne With NSFW Post Days After His Funeral
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