A website claimed to sell popular songs as NFTs. Some artists say the site never got their permission.

Following the backlash, the website HitPiece on Wednesday displayed a seven-word statement on its homepage: “We Started The Conversation And We’re Listening.”

A website called HitPiece garnered backlash this week after some artists pointed out that the site was claiming to sell iconic songs as NFTs without their permission.

NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, of legendary music, including songs by Britney Spears and BTS, were up for grabs on HitPiece. But, as a handful of artists said Tuesday on Twitter, the platform doesn't own any of the music, nor does it have permission to sell the work as NFTs.

Following the backlash, the site displayed a seven-word statement on its homepage Wednesday: "We Started The Conversation And We’re Listening."

HitPiece was launched by former Sony employee and music label owner Rory Felton and music executive and former rapper Michael Berrin, and it is backed by venture capitalists Ryan Singer and Blake Modersitzki.

In a statement on its Twitter account, HitPiece said it was "committed to evolving the product to fit the needs of the artists, labels, and fans alike."

"Clearly we have struck a nerve and are very eager to create the ideal experience for music fans," the website wrote in its tweet.

pic.twitter.com/HfqCi0pzzc

— HitPiece - Music NFTs (@joinhitpiece) February 2, 2022

Singer did not directly address the backlash when he was asked for comment.

“NFT’s aren’t immune to bad actors using them to scam people,” he wrote in a statement. “That said, just like verified channels on youtube reduced copyright fraud, so will artists minting their own NFT’s preemptively and building out their metaverse identity and brand.”

Felton and Modersitzki did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reached by email, Berrin directed NBC News to contact The Rose Group, a reputation management company. The Rose Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An archived version of HitPiece’s website says artists who created the music being sold would receive royalties from the sales.

“Each time an artist’s NFT is purchased or sold, a royalty from each transaction is accounted to the rights holders account,” the website reads.

Although the website is defunct, HitPiece’s LinkedIn page remains up. It describes the platform as a community where "you, the music fan, can purchase one-of-one unique music NFT’s from your favorite artists."

"Our one-of-one music NFT’s include either the original release artwork or bespoke generative cover art and can consist of access to experiences, exclusives, and additional utility found nowhere else," it says.

HitPiece's archived website described "one-of-one" NFTs as "one-of-a-kind NFT’s,” adding: “Other NFTs may be serialized or one of many copies. HitPiece NFT’s are one-of-ones and are the only NFTs for that unique recording in HitPiece."

The archived site shows NFTs of songs like "Killing Floor" by Jimi Hendrix, "Money" by the singer LiSA and "Jammin' (Live At The Pavillon De Paris)" by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

What artists are saying

As the site took off, artists on Twitter called out HitPiece for selling their music as NFTs without permission.

"apparently a lot of my music’s been stolen and put up as NF*s on this platform called hitpiece," artist Louie Zong tweeted.

The musician CZARINA tweeted that while she had hoped to focus on her coming album, she is now preoccupied with her music’s being listed on HitPiece.

The singer Ted Leo tweeted that he hadn’t approved HitPiece to list his music as NFTs.

Bottom feeding scavengers of late capitalism sucking the last marrow from our bones and/or running a scam on me, you, or everyone, because obviously, I didn’t approve this, and apparently neither did anyone else you’ll see on the site. pic.twitter.com/65qwDr8zNI

— Ted Leo (@tedleo) February 1, 2022

"Bottom feeding scavengers of late capitalism sucking the last marrow from our bones and/or running a scam on me, you, or everyone, because obviously, I didn’t approve this, and apparently neither did anyone else you’ll see on the site," Leo wrote.

The singer Nat Puff, better known as Left at London, tweeted that HitPiece owed her money, specifying that she did not want cryptocurrency from it.

"I have a lawyer @joinhitpiece. do you want to meet her?" she wrote.

The rock band Eve 6 described the NFTs being sold on HitPiece as "fraud."

"this site ‘hitpiece’ is selling nft’s of our band and MANY others without permission," the band wrote in a tweet, adding that "nft’s are fraud."

The hip-hop band Clipping tweeted that it wanted its music removed from the site.

"Thanks for the heads up," the band tweeted. "We’re looking into what we can do to get it taken down."

Colbert Speaks On Republicans ‘Crushing Hard' with Russia

Late-night hosts also discuss supreme court justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement and Biden’s insult of Fox correspondent Peter Doocy

Stephen Colbert

On Thursday’s Late Show, Stephen Colbert weighed in on sky-high tensions over Russia’s massing of troops on the border with Ukraine. “So the world’s two greatest nuclear powers are toe-to-toe in a high-stakes staring contest, but not everyone is pulling for our guy,” he said, citing a new poll which found 62% of Republicans think Putin is a “stronger leader” than Biden.

“What is wrong with you? Stop rooting for the other team!” he marveled. “Haven’t you seen Rocky IV, From Russia With Love, Air Force One, Rambo First Blood Part II, Golden Eye, The Hunt for Red October? Come on.“ I’m not sure what the Republican criterion for toughness is. It is true that Biden hasn’t murdered anyone with a cup of tea laced with polonium, a noose, point-blank shootings or by chucking them out of windows,” he continued, citing several examples of the Kremlin killing dissidents. “The only way Joe’s gonna kill you is by repeatedly telling the same story.”

Nevertheless, Republicans are “crushing hard” on Putin, Colbert concluded, pointing to a clip from Fox & Friends in which host Brian Kilmeade said, based on a poll in which six out of 10 Americans thought Biden was likable, “give us a strong leader who’s a little less likable”.

“Republican daddy issues are going to kill us all,” Colbert mused.

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Amy Schneider’s 40-Win Jeopardy! Streak Broken by New Champ

Amy Schneider’s dazzling Jeopardy! streak is over, when the groundbreaking champion was finally defeated after 40 consecutive wins and about $1.4m in prize money.

Earlier this week, Schneider became the second-longest-running champion in the game’s history. Her success put her in the ranks of Ken Jennings, who is serving as guest host, and the quizshow’s other all-time greats. It also made Schneider, a trans woman, a visible symbol of achievement for often-marginalized people. “It’s still a little hard to believe,” she said of her impressive run. “It’s something that I’m going to be remembered for, and that’s pretty great.”

New champ Rhone Talsma, a Chicago librarian, had the correct response to the final Jeopardy! clue for a winning total of $29,600.

“I’m still in shock,” Talsma said in a statement. “I did not expect to be facing a 40-day champion and I was excited to maybe see someone else slay the giant. I just really didn’t think it was going to be me, so I’m thrilled.”

The answer that stumped Schneider was about countries of the world: The only nation whose name in English ends in an “h” and which is also one of the 10 most populous. (The answer: “What is Bangladesh?”)

Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, California, scored her 39th win on Monday night, giving her the second-longest winning streak of any contestant. Since November, she has won about $1.3m, making her the first woman and fourth person to win more than $1m on the show. She has also become the first transgender person to qualify for Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions, an annual event with the game’s top players.

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What’s the cultural impact of musicians cancelling their own music? Elvis Costello and Rolling Stones fuel trend

Rolling Stones removed their hit Brown Sugar from their tour setlist due to ‘beef’ over the song (Picture: Getty Images)

Cancel culture is an increasingly contentious subject – the likes of Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes will tell you it’ll be the death of democracy and free speech, while Gen-Z and millennials remain ready, armed with pitchforks at the mere whiff of an offensive sentiment in hopes of ousting outdated views. 

However, there’s a new wave of cancel culture that is slowly gripping the music industry and that is musicians essentially cancelling themselves – well, their music. 

Last week, Elvis Costello begged radio stations not to play one of his biggest hits, Oliver’s Army, due to the racial slur it features. The 1979 track, which was written about the army and imperialism, includes the lyrics: ‘Only takes one itchy trigger/ One more widow, one less white n*****.’

However, he is now retiring the track and has called on radio stations to also remove it from their playlists. 

Costello, 67, told The Telegraph: ‘If I wrote that song today, maybe I’d think twice about it. That’s what my grandfather was called in the British army – it’s historically a fact – but people hear that word go off like a bell and accuse me of something that I didn’t intend.’ 

Clearly the rise of cancel culture, particularly pertaining to racial issues, has given the musician food for thought and spurred on his personal reflection. 

He’s not alone as the Rolling Stones made an unexpected move last year when they announced the retirement of their hit single Brown Sugar due to lyrics depicting slavery. Keith Richards seemed more reluctant than Costello to self-cancel out of reflection and described the controversy as ‘beef’, appearing more keen to avoid a headache rather than understanding the root of the criticism. 

Regardless, it seems as though the strategy for maturer artists in cleaning up their catalogues is to banish the controversial tracks entirely. 

But how does this change the legacy of their biggest hits and will it even make much of an impact? 

Dr Matt Grimes, Course Leader in Music Industries at Birmingham City, told Metro.co.uk: ‘I can see other artists following in the footsteps of Elvis Costello and “self-censoring” or “self-cancelling”. 

‘There is a conflict between music reflecting a particular time, place and space, and where politics and culture are now. However, history and art are also there to be challenged and rewritten – recent developments around the Colston Statue in Bristol being a prime example.

‘Fan opinions over Elvis Costello’s comments will no doubt be split, however musicians and songwriters do have a responsibility to consider their back catalogue and whether any material can be readdressed and recontextualised, which is effectively what Costello is now doing.’ 

Elvis Costello said he’d ‘think twice’ about Oliver’s Army if he wrote it today (Picture: ABC via Getty Images)

Dr Grimes believes the so-called censorship of songs that were born out of a completely different era fuels the debate about music being a ‘platform for politics of all persuasion’.

‘There is also a conflict there alongside free speech and artistic expression,’ he said. ‘A good example is Morrissey, who has both a cult-like following from some sections of the public and is seen as divisive, abrasive and outspoken by others.’ 

Even if a musician chooses not to include particular songs on their tour setlist, Dr Grimes argues that the streaming industry is so powerful, record label contracts so complex and the songs already so ingrained in history, that shifting the narrative won’t be an easy feat. 

‘It is likely that both the original version of any songs reimagined or re-recorded for a 21st century audience will remain on streaming services, and on physical formats available to buy through retail outlets online and on the high street,’ he explained. 

‘Some songs, after all, produce income and secure “pensions” for their creators through mechanical and radio airplay so it’s unlikely that all artists who choose to “cancel” specific songs will give up all financial benefits from the original.

‘There is currently no framework around limiting airplay of music on radio which could be deemed as out-of-date and inappropriate.’ 

As for the impact on music culture, Dr Grimes said: ‘[With] censoring or removing specific songs from their live and recorded catalogue, there are all manner of considerations around contractual deals with labels and publishers around albums and rights around the use of songs. 

‘So there would be a great deal of negotiation involved. We won’t see songs disappear immediately, likely more over a longer period of time.’ 

A New Coalition Amplifies Disability Culture in the Music Industry

RAMPD, an organization of professional disabled musicians, will push for accessibility in the music industry, including adding visible ramps to awards show stages.

The musician Lachi is one of the founders of RAMPD, an organization that works to amplify disability culture and advocate for accessibility in the music business.

For the singer, songwriter and producer Lachi, the acronym was everything.

She helped start the organization that would become RAMPD — Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities — in July 2021, but it was a few months earlier, after moderating a panel for the Recording Academy about disability inclusion, that she came up with the name.

“After that aired, musicians with disabilities were coming out of the woodwork and following me on Instagram, DMing me going, ‘What are we going to do? Are you going to lead this charge? What’s next?’” Lachi said in an interview. “Everyone was energized. And that’s when the spark came, of the acronym.”

RAMPD, which Lachi co-founded with the singer-songwriter and violinist Gaelynn Lea, alongside a dozen or so founding members, works to amplify disability culture and advocate for accessibility in the music business. One of its main goals, fittingly, is to make accessibility ramps visible on TV during awards shows to help normalize disability in the entertainment industry.

The coalition’s kickoff will be a virtual event at 5 p.m. on Friday, with opening and closing remarks live from the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (The Grammy Awards, originally scheduled for Jan. 31, have been pushed back to April 3.) Adrian Anantawan, a classical violinist; Eliza Hull, an indie rock singer-songwriter; and Molly Joyce, an organist and songwriter, will perform, alongside other disabled musicians, and professional membership applications for the group will open.

“Our professional membership have awards, have toured, have worked with big names, are big names themselves,” said Lachi, who is based in New York. “And we’re not here to make folks feel warm and gushy. We’re not here to get handouts. We’re here to get gigs. We’re here to get on stages, we’re here to get paid.”

“Disability isn’t ‘despite this, they did this,’” said the singer-songwriter and violinist Gaelynn Lea, a RAMPD co-founder. “It’s more like, ‘because of their identity as a disabled artist, you are enjoying this art in this form.’” Credit...Paul Vienneau

In October, RAMPD partnered with the inaugural Wavy Awards for an event celebrating women, L.G.B.T.Q. artists, nonbinary musicians, artists of color, performers who identify as having a disability and allies. The organization advised the show on American Sign Language interpretation, captioning, audio description and ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities on-camera and behind the scenes.

Perhaps Lachi’s favorite part, though, was promoting the use of what she calls “self description,” known widely as visual description, which is added as audio to television programs and movies to help people with low vision and people who are blind, like herself.

“My name is Lachi, she/her, Black girl, cornrows,” she said as an example. “So that’s what I go by. And that’s all it is.”

She underscored how racism, sexism and homophobia compound the discrimination disabled people face. “It’s paramount for folks to recognize that disability has color, that disability has gender, that disability has sexual preference and that disability is not straight, white, middle-America male,” she said.

Lea, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and is based in Minnesota, pointed out that she wouldn’t make the same music — which won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016 — if not for her life experience.

“Disability isn’t ‘despite this, they did this,’” she said in an interview. “It’s more like, ‘because of their identity as a disabled artist, you are enjoying this art in this form.’”

She added, “Disability culture and the movement that we’re starting I think really is actually up there in terms of cultural shifts with all the other diversity movements we’re talking about.”

Through the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council in Duluth, Minn., Lea received the Arts Ecosystem Grant, which will allow RAMPD to build a membership database of professional disabled artists — something that never existed until now. RAMPD also recently secured a fiscal sponsor, Accessible Festivals, a nonprofit organization that will help manage RAMPD’s grants and donations, and allow for the group to grow beyond Lachi and Lea.

“We want to see more leaders emerge out of this and people recognize them in the community, because sometimes it feels like I get asked to do so many events, and it’s partly because I feel like people don’t know anyone else to ask,” Lea said. “That’s something that we have to fix.”