My Publicist Note Book

Kendrick Lamar released his highly anticipated fourth LP,  Damn. , today – only three days after revealing its title, track list and artwork. The 14-track LP features collaborations with Rihanna ("LOYALTY."), U2 ("XXX.") and L.A.-based singer/instrumentalist Zacari ("LOVE."). iTunes purchases of the album detail the full production credits, which include collaborations with "J. Blake" (which Pitchfork confirmed as electronic artist James Blake), Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It, Toronto jazz-fusion outfit BADBADNOTGOOD, Sounwave, the Alchemist and DJ Dahi, among others. An artist named Bēkon, whose name turns up few hits online, contributed vocals and/or production to eight total songs Lamar teased the album in late March, warning, "Y'all got 'til April the 7th to get your shit together" on surprise new track "The Heart Part 4." Though that song doesn't appear on  Damn. , the LP does feature Lamar's r...

For a centenarian,  the Pulitzer Prize  appears to be as spry as ever. Now in its 101st year, the prestigious prize recognized writers, artists, and musicians of nearly every bent — from breaking news and cartooning, to fiction and drama. At a New York City ceremony Monday, Pulitzer Prize Administrator Mike Pride announced the 21 winners of the 2017 award. Hilton Als.  DOMINIQUE NABOKOV/COURTESY THE WINDHAM-CAMPBELL PRIZES The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced this afternoon, and among those honored was Hilton Als, the theater critic for  The New Yorker , who captured the prize for criticism. In addition to writing his regular columns for  The New Yorker , Als is an author, photographer, curator, and overall cultural force. “With his deep knowledge of the history of performance—not only in theatre but in dance, music, and visual art—he not only shows us how to view a production but how to place its director, its author, and its pe...

Pepsi Pulls Ad Accused of Trivializing Black Lives Matter Photo Pepsi has apologized for a controversial advertisement that borrowed imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement, after a day of intense criticism from people who said it trivialized the widespread protests against the killings of black people by the police. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark and apologize,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. “We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout.” The ad, posted to YouTube on Tuesday, shows attractive young people holding milquetoast signs with nonspecific pleas like “Join the conversation.” The protesters are uniformly smiling, laughing, clapping, hugging and high-fiving. In the ad’s climactic scene, a police officer accepts a can of Pepsi from Kendall Jenner, a white woman, setting off ...

The long-awaited list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants is finally here—and New Yorkers have reason to celebrate. According to the ranking, Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s pricey Eleven Madison Park, can now proudly claim the title for *the* best restaurant in the world. Six of the world's 50 best restaurants are in America The annual list was unveiled tonight in Australia (remember, there's a huge time difference!) after being independently refereed by Deloitte Consulting. Votes came from members of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy , a group comprised of over 1,000 members of the international restaurant community who are required to list their choices in preferential order. Each member is able to cast 10 votes for their favorite venues from the past 18 months, just as long as at least 4 of the restaurants they choose are located outside of their home regions. Of course, like any competition, this one doesn't come without controversy. Critics of...