The tech can potentially monitor and record speech to make personalised music recommendations Over 180 artists have banded together to take a stance against Spotify‘s patent for a music recommendation technology based on speech monitoring. In 2018, the streaming giant filed a patent for a technology which could monitor and record speech and background noise in order to make personalized music recommendations. The filing was approved by the United States Patent And Trademark Office (USPTO) in January this year. On 4 May, a coalition of musicians – including Tom Morello, Evan Greer, Downtown Boys and Talib Kweli – sent an open letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. They called on Spotify to make a public commitment to never use, license, sell or monetise the technology. The coalition listed five major concerns regarding the technology: emotional manipulation, discrimination, privacy violations, data security and the possibility it could exacerbate inequality in the music industry. Read the letter in full here. The letter asks Spotify to issue a public response by 18 May 2021. Spotify has previously stated it has no upcoming plans to implement the technology. In April, Horacio Guttierez, the company’s Head Of Global Affairs And Chief Legal Officer told Access Now: “Spotify has never implemented the technology described in the patent in any of our products and we have no plans to do so. Our research and development teams are constantly envisioning and developing new technologies as part of our ongoing innovation cycle. “Sometimes those innovations end up being implemented in our products and sometimes they don’t. The decision to patent an invention does not always reflect the company’s intent to implement the invention in a product but is instead influenced by a number of other considerations, including our responsibilities to our users and to society at large.” Full article at MusicTech

DJ HB Smooth and DJ Mellz return to drop off their 'RnB Pantie Droppers 4' mixtape.

PGF Shawt hosts the latest edition of the 'Strictly 4 The Traps N Trunks' mixtape series. Volume 170 features new music from Pooh Shiesty, Lil Baby, Big 30, EST Gee, Young Dolph, G Herbo, Starlito, and more. For slots & hosting: 404-576-8375 / kdough@trapsntrunks.com

You asked for it and we listened! The latest release of the ‘F*ck Yo Playlist’ series has arrived. As expected it is jam packed with all the newest releases from all your trap favorites and more. Pass the aux to DJ Spinatik & LiveMixtapes and let them take over your sound waves.

Dave East & Millyz drop a new project titled 'Pablo & Blanco' containing 6 tracks with features from Shy Gawdly & Statik Selektah. Related Article: Dave East & Millyz Ft. Statik Selektah - Chapo Stream Dave East & Millyz Pablo & Blanco below...

Between the the soft-launch experiment Latto toyed with in her guest verse on 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Toosi’s Thank You For Believing track “5’5” and her official stage name change announcement, fans have already had pair of opportunities to get used to the Queen Of Da Souf rapper’s new pseudonym. But for the sake of creating a fashionably late entrance, Latto (formerly Mulatto) re-introduces herself on “The Biggest.” Stream Latto The Biggest below...

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Lil Durk link up for '24 Hours'. Stream A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Ft. Lil Durk 24 Hours below...

As the end of the pandemic is seemingly within sights now, summer is also creeping up and that means that the City Girls music will soon make its return home — playing in clubs across the nation. In the spirit of shaking yams and manifesting a post-pandemic “Hot Girl Summer” JT and Yung Miami get it popping on “Twerkulator.” Stream City Girls Twerkulator below...

Lil Wayne continues his feature blitz along side Roddy Ricch and under the direction of his father for the Cash Money CEO’s “STUNNAMAN” release. Birdman announced the single and accompanying visual in an Instagram post Thursday (May 20) revealing “STUNNAMAN” is also the first single from his upcoming film soundtrack for his She Ball production executive produced by Chris Brown and Nick Cannon. Stream Birdman, Roddy Rich & Lil Wayne STUNNAMAN below...

Polo G can confident’y say he has a feature with one of the Carter’s following his appreciation for JAY-Z’s billionaire bars on DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” record featuring Nas. Living up to the larger-than-life example he set on his recent “Rapstar” single, Polo G gets blessed by presence of a behemoth Lil Wayne “GANG GANG.” Stream Polo G & Lil Wayne GANG GANG below...