NEWS
The Eminem-produced docuseries How Music Got Free has finally received a release date from Paramount+.
The docuseries, which also has LeBron James as an executive producer, will debut in the United States and Canada on the streaming giant on June 11. Fans everywhere else in the world will get to see it the next day.
How Music Got Free was first dropped at SXSW this year, and it “details the fascinating, and often funny, inside story of the technology-driven disruption that changed music during the late-’90s and early-2000s. File sharing technology, combined with the insatiable demand for new music, created both the means and the motive for millions of young people to participate in outright theft — and be celebrated for it,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Notably, Em was not a fan of the music piracy discussed in the series when it was happening, as HipHopDX reported back in 2002.
As part of a campaign against it that year, Em said: “I’m sorry; when I worked 9-to-5, I expected to get a paycheck every week. It’s the same with music; if I’m putting my heart and all my time into music, I expect to get rewarded for that. I work hard and anybody can just throw a computer up and download my music for free. It could kill the whole purpose of making music.”
Check out the first trailer for the series below.
Back in February, Variety reported that the 51-year-old MC was preparing to co-produce a documentary titled Stans, which is a reference to his fictional song about a devotee of his music who ends up killing himself and his girlfriend after Em doesn’t respond to his letters.
“Stan” has since become a recognized term (both noun and verb) used to convey obsession, typically for artists and celebrities.
Directed by Steven Leckart and set to be released later this year via Shady Films, the film’s synopsis describes it as a “revealing, edgy, and disarmingly personal journey into the world of superfandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.”
The “Lose Yourself” hitmaker’s manager Paul Rosenberg said that the upcoming movie “will be the opportunity for us to turn the camera around and ask the audience about being fans — and in some cases, fanatics.”
Last month, the Detroit native issued an open call to his social-media followers by sharing a link to a questionnaire that will presumably be used to shortlist participants for Stans.
The form consists of questions such as “What are some things in your life that you’ve accomplished thanks to Eminem/his music?” and “Do you remember when Eminem took a break from touring/releasing albums circa 2005? If so, how did that impact you?”
After staying quiet for years, The Avalanches have finally returned with something brand new. Their latest single “Together,” released through Modular Recordings, features Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza, and Prentiss, marking the group’s first original release in close to six years.
Anyone expecting quiet, reflective electronic music or sample heavy Motown inspired textures may be caught off guard by this one. “Together” leans into bright energy and movement, delivering a lively dance driven sound that feels playful, upbeat, and built for packed rooms and late nights.
The Avalanches, currently made up of Robbie Chater, Tony Di Blasi and Andy Szekeres, made a huge impact with their 2000 debut album Since I Left You.
What made the record stand out was its incredible use of sampling, blending fragments from hundreds of recordings by artists including Françoise Hardy, Sérgio Mendes, Raekwon, Wayne and Shuster, and Madonna into something completely unique. Tracks like “Frontier Psychiatrist” and the title song helped establish the album as both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. According to a statement from the band’s representatives, the project left “a global footprint for collaborative sampology in the 21st century.”
Their second album arrived after an extremely long wait and explored a very different direction creatively. Sixteen years after their debut, The Avalanches released Wildflower, which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Their next project, We Will Always Love You, arrived in 2020 and later earned the Australian Music Prize for Album of the Year.
The group briefly resurfaced again in 2024 through their collaboration with Jamie XX on the song “All You Children” from In Waves.
“Together” appears to be the beginning of another major era for the group. The release is connected to a “Superfun” campaign that features artwork of Chater gaming along with an animated visual for the track. The video brings old technology to life, including an iPod and a diskette, as they wander through a colorful world side by side.
A classic Nokia 3310 also shows up in the video, floating down from above complete with angel wings.
“How are you looking after your memories? At Takumi digital archives your most treasured moments are safe with us,” says the mysterious official statement. Fans are also invited to “visit Takumi today” through the website takumiarchives.com.
Jonathan Zawada directed and animated the music video, which can be streamed below.
