Music

Even as the relationships between Nigeria and south Africa worsens over xenophobia, a Nigerian record label, Tehila Records, is set to use music as a tool to promote peace and unity on the continent.

Two rare recordings from rock legend David Bowie will be reissued next month for the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day, the global celebration of vinyl's rebirth, his label said Friday.

Ed Sheeran smashed a host of British pop records on Friday, taking the top five places in the singles charts and all 16 songs from his new album in the top 20.

Facing the task of summing up his 50 years on Earth through songs, Stephin Merritt has revealed unorthodox living arrangements, disdain for surfing and his knack for catching "weird diseases."

Diddy, a fellow New York rapper who was one of the slain rapper's proteges, marked the anniversary with an Instagram call for fans to recite their favorite Notorious B.I.G. verses and post the cover versions online.

The 42-year-old used online platforms including Facebook and Skype to impersonate the chart-topping Canadian singer, with his alleged offending dating back to 2007.

"I was actually screened a few months ago for cancer cells for which I am currently being treated," he wrote. "My life is not in danger today," added the 73-year-old who has been described as the French Elvis.

Fast-rising star Chance the Rapper on Monday donated $1 million to Chicago's schools as he waded into the middle of a political feud that threatens to close down classrooms weeks early. The "Coloring Book" rapper, who last month won three Grammys including the prestigious Best New Artist award, threw a national spotlight on a long-running rift over school funding in the third most populous US city. Chicago has warned that its public schools could shut on June 1, three weeks ahead of schedule, due to a gap of more than $200 million in funding. "This isn't about politics, this isn't about posturing, this is about taking care of the kids," Chance the Rapper told a news conference at an elementary school that he streamed to his millions of social media followers. The 23-year-old artist, a Chicago native who attended public schools, said he was donating $1 million to support arts programming and was not looking to replace state funding. He also promised that his group Social Works Chicago would match every donation of $100,000 with another $10,000. "This check that I donated is a call to action. I'm challenging major companies and corporations in Chicago and all across the nation to donate and to take action," said the rapper, at times reading formally in contrast to his on-stage poise. Chance the Rapper has long been an activist and has made appeals to end Chicago's street violence. His father Ken Williams-Bennett is a veteran Chicago political figure who was an aide to former president Barack Obama. Former first lady Michelle Obama, who has mostly kept a low profile in the weeks since leaving the White House, hailed Chance for "giving back to the Chicago community, which gave us so much." "You are an example of the power of arts education," she wrote on Twitter. Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, last week met on the school funding dispute with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, a Republican. Rauner last year vetoed a funding plan for the schools in a dispute with the legislature as he pushes the school district to reform ballooning pension costs and fix what he calls longtime mismanagement.

Afrobeat star, Ayo Balogun popularly known as ‘WizKid’ has bagged an iHeart Radio Award for his collaboration on ‘One dance’ with American rapper, Drake and singer, Kyla.

He returned a week later with a completely new album, "HNDRXX." It debuted at number one for the week through Thursday, pushing the self-titled album to number two.

The English singer has been in a long-term relationship with Simon Konecki, a former financier who founded drop4drop, a charity that presses for global access to clean drinking water.

I have never reviewed classical music. Yes, I have heard of Bach and Beethoven. Yes, I have Mozart in my music library, but that is as far as my engagement goes.