A U.S. federal court has issued an injunction to stop the LimeWire file-sharing service, which allowed users to share songs and other files over the Internet. The Lime Group was found liable of copyright infringement in May.
For many rap and hip-hop artists, behind all the trash talk and posturing, it's all about business. Forbes recently released its Hip Hop Cash Kings list, and the 20 big names on it racked up a total of about $300 million, despite the weak economy and the Internet revolution that is killing the CD business.
Hip-hop pays well, very well, at least for Jay-Z. Forbes reports Jay-Z racked up $63 million in the past year -- owing about $22 million in federal and state taxes, a sum greater than the total earnings of every rapper and hip-hop mogul besides second-ranked Diddy.
Increasingly, shows such as Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model and Pretty Little Liars are incorporating songs into their scenes and then featuring them in online playlists. It may seem like a minor promotion, but for some bands, the results have been nothing short of astounding.










