Entertainment
Indie Music Leaders Organize Against UMG-Downtown Deal With New Campaign: ‘A Serious Threat’
Leaders across indie music are once again teaming up to speak out against Universal Music Group’s proposed acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings with a new campaign.
Dubbed “100 Voices,” the campaign argues that the deal, which is currently the subject of an investigation by the European Commission, “poses a serious threat to competition, diversity and fair access across the music industry,” according to a press release. Downtown operates distribution platforms FUGA and CD Baby, the royalty accounting service Curve and the indie publishing admin services provider Songtrust, among others — all of which are heavily utilized by independent labels and artists.
The “100 Voices” publication was delivered in person on Thursday (Oct. 2) to Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity. Dombrovskis is leading the current phase of the investigation into the proposed deal, the results of which were originally slated for release in December but are now set to be revealed sometime next year (the probe was halted last month because documents were not submitted in a timely manner, according to the Commission.
This isn’t the first time the indie music community has rallied against the proposed acquisition. As soon as the deal was announced, independent companies and organizations including IMPALA, Beggars Group, IMPF, A2IM and Secretly Group began releasing statements asking regulators to block it. In July, more than 200 indie music execs from companies including Better Noise, Dead Oceans, Hopeless Records and Sub Pop published an open letter urging the European Commission to enter a “Phase II” investigation of the deal. “A concentration of this magnitude would narrow the range of voices, styles and cultures that reach the public,” the letter read. “It would give UMG further power to shape digital services, influence monetization thresholds and extract more, at the expense of the independent sector.”
In response to the outpouring of concern, Nat Pastor and JT Meyers — co-CEOs of Virgin Music Group, the UMG subsidiary that would acquire Downtown — sent a memo to staff that rebutted some of the indie community’s claims, stating in part: “Our motivation for the merger and our excitement about it are rooted in this singular opportunity: by combining Downtown’s and Virgin’s unique capabilities, the unified company will offer an even more robust and flexible suite of services to independent labels everywhere.”
Downtown Music CEO Pieter van Rijn also blasted the opposition in an open letter published in September, in which he claimed “misinformation” about the pending acquisition was designed to “undermine our longstanding and trusted client relationships” while ignoring the ways in which the deal would more effectively serve independents.
A press release announcing the “100 Voices” campaign, unveiled on Friday (Oct. 3), includes quotes from several indie executives arguing against the deal, which can be found below. A full list of signees is available at the campaign’s website.
Martin Mills, founder/chairman, Beggars: “We are now operating in an industry increasingly shaped by global corporations, whose dominance over digital infrastructure effects everything from artist visibility to revenue. This ongoing consolidation amounts to a systematic weakening of the independent sector’s ability to compete on fair terms.”
Bruno Roze, founder/artistic director, I Love You Records: “If Downtown’s services fall under UMG’s control, we fear higher costs, reduced access, and the loss of independence that small labels like ours need to survive. This deal risks creating a music ecosystem where one corporation controls too much of the infrastructure, leaving less room for diversity, innovation, and fair competition. For the long-term health of independent music, it should be blocked.”
Nacho García Vega, president, International Artist Organisation: “Artists rely on a pluralistic infrastructure that reflects diversity in both ownership and access. Allowing UMG to consolidate control over a major independent player would move the industry further toward a two-tier system, where market dominance — not creative merit — determines visibility and success.”
Francesca Trainini, vp, PMI Italia: “This is a crucial moment for the future of Europe’s music landscape. The Commission’s intervention shows these concerns are being taken seriously. The risks of reinforcing the leader and losing a big competitor are clearer today than ever before. Remedies would be ineffective in today’s music market. We trust the Commission will take the necessary steps to protect competition, access, and diversity across the sector.”
Birte Wiemann, project manager, Cargo Records Germany: “When unchecked growth disrupts an ecosystem, diversity suffers. If UMG acquires Downtown, entire independent structures are absorbed, giving UMG new power over DSPs and data that weakens independents. The result is less diversity, more homogenised output, and a cultural niche increasingly sidelined.”
NFL player Keion White was shot early Monday (Feb. 9) following an alleged argument with Lil Baby at a San Francisco nightclub.
According to ABC7, White was shot in the ankle at Dahlia’s, where the 49ers defensive lineman was hosting a Super Bowl party.
SFPD responded to calls for gunshots around 4 a.m. PT on Monday, according to ABC7. The San Francisco Standard viewed the police report, which, according to the publication, said a witness told law enforcement that White got into an argument with Baby as the rapper and his entourage tried to enter the private event, and was then shot, hours after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Billboard has reached out to reps for Lil Baby and the SFPD for comment.
“Any violent incident in our city is unacceptable, and I’m hoping Keion recovers quickly. I’ve spoken with SFPD and 49ers leadership — we are all grateful to our SFPD officers for their quick response,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said on X. “As always, I will continue working with San Francisco law enforcement to ensure our neighborhoods and our residents are safe.”
According to the San Francisco 49ers, White underwent successful surgery on his ankle and the injuries are not expected to be “career-threatening.”
“A preliminary investigation revealed a verbal altercation occurred between two groups inside a business,” San Francisco police said in a statement, per ESPN. “The victim was injured when shots were fired by an unknown suspect.”
No arrests have been made yet, and no suspects have been named by the San Francisco Police Department.
Lil Baby was spotted attending Super Bowl LX with his son, Jason. On the music side, Baby has already notched collabs with Tkandz as well as Veeze and Rylo Rodriguez in 2026. The Atlanta rapper’s “Mrs. Trendsetter” held at No. 89 on last week’s Billboard Hot 100.
Don Toliver’s busy week across Billboard’s charts includes the rapper-singer’s first No. 1 hit on the Hot Rap Songs list, as “Body” debuts atop the ranking dated Feb. 7. The new champ, on Donnway & Co./Cactus Jack/Atlantic Records, captains his collection of 17 tracks this week’s chart. They’re all from his new album, Octane, which storms in at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart with 162,000 equivalent album units.
The 17-track parade marks the most cuts that Don Toliver has posted on the Hot Rap Songs chart in a single week, and makes him only the sixth artist to claim 17 or more simultaneous appearances. He joins Drake, who has done it twice, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott in the chart’s 34-year history.
“Body” owes its coronation on the multimetric Hot Rap Songs chart, a weighted combination of streaming, radio airplay and sales data in the United States, almost entirely to 14.3 million official on-demand streams for the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5, according to Luminate. Thanks to that sum, it sparks a No. 1 debut on the Rap Streaming Songs chart. In the remaining categories, “Body” had 106,000 radio audience impressions and a negligible amount of song downloads.
With “Body,” Don Toliver achieves his first Hot Rap Songs No. 1 after 30 prior appearances. The performer previously peaked twice at No. 3 through featured roles: He and NAV guested on Internet Money and Gunna’s “Lemonade,” which reached the bronze in November 2020, while his and Future’s supporting turns on Metro Boomin’s “Too Many Nights” led to the same prize in December 2022. As a lead artist, his own “Tiramisu” set his previous career high of No. 6 in September 2025.
Similarly, “Body” leads Don Toliver’s ledger on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (No. 3) and the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 (No. 14).
With “Body” on top, here’s a recap of all 17 Don Toliver tracks on Hot Rap Songs. Among them, 15 are debuts, while “ATM” and “Tiramisu” nab their second and third weeks, respectively.
- No. 1, “Body”
- No. 2, “E85”
- No. 4, “ATM”
- No. 5, “Secondhand,” feat. Rema
- No. 6, “Rendezvous,” feat. Yeat
- No. 8, “Tiramisu”
- No. 9, “Rosary,” feat. Travis Scott
- No. 10, “Call Back”
- No. 11, “Gemstone”
- No. 12, “Excavator”
- No. 13, “Opposite”
- No. 17, “All the Signs,” feat. Teezo Touchdown
- No. 18, “Tuition”
- No. 19, “K9,” feat. SahBabii
- No. 22, “TMU”
- No. 24, “Sweet Home”
- No. 25, “Pleasure’s Mine”
Entertainment
Baby Keem Announces ‘Ca$ino’ Album Release Date & Previews Kendrick Lamar Collaboration
Baby Keem is back. Keem announced plans for his upcoming album, Ca$ino, on Tuesday (Feb. 10), and the sophomore LP is slated to arrive on Feb. 20.
“Ca$ino Feb 20, 2026 Limited Edition Vinyl Available Now,” Keem wrote on Instagram. The 25-year-old revealed the LP’s cover art, which features a photo of a young Baby Keem with the parental advisory sticker.
Ca$ino boasts 12 tracks, including collaborations with his cousin Kendrick Lamar, Too Short, Momo Boys and Che Ecru.
With the four-plus-year layoff, fans are anticipating Keem’s return. “Took your time bro this better be a classic,” one person commented. Another added: “USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS!”
Keem also released a Ca$ino documentary on YouTube to accompany the announcement. The Booman I doc features appearances from plenty of Keem’s family members describing his upbringing, including an appearance from Kendrick. “I understand the hardships before he was born. Knowing his mom, that’s my first cousin,” he said. “I already knew what she was going through, just the history of our family in general. We don’t call ourselves the hillbillies for nothing.”
Lamar continued: “Section 8, welfare … This is a story of a warfare environment and a warfare psychologically trying to change our generational curses.”
There’s also footage of Keem in the studio working on his collab with Lamar, “Good Flirts.” “Walking in the party, I don’t feel nobody/ What the f—k,” K. Dot raps on the hard-hitting track. “Is it fake, is it love, probably/ I smell something.”
Baby Keem’s debut album, The Melodic Blue, arrived in September 2021 and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. He released a deluxe for the LP in October 2022 featuring Lil Uzi Vert and PinkPantheress.
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