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?”
Perry Farrell has released another public apology following an on-stage confrontation involving his bandmate Dave Navarro.
The Jane's Addiction frontman was involved in a physical altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro last year during a live performance, an incident that prompted the band to cancel their reunion tour and eventually led to their split.
“I'd like to address what happened on stage last year,” Perry, 66, said in a statement shared across both his personal Instagram account and Jane's Addiction’s official page. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
He went on to admit that he did not meet fan expectations and described himself as deeply remorseful toward everyone impacted by the incident.
“Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons, and the impact that we've had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down,” he shared.
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I'm truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
Jane's Addiction also issued its own statement regarding the altercation, which ultimately led to the group’s remaining members filing a lawsuit against Perry alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
“Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane's Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together,” the band wrote, signaling that the group would not move forward with Perry. “We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavors.”
