ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 14 People & Places Music Music world split Singer Dr. Luke rises again as ‘Tyson Trax’ By Mesfi n Fekadu ith dark clouds looming behind him, con- Wtroversial music producer and hitmaker Dr. Luke rose to the top of the Billboard charts last year with Doja Cat’s ubiquitous funk-pop jam “Say So,” along with Saweetie’s anthemic bop “Tap In” and Juice WRLD’s Top 5 pop smash “Wishing Well.” It marked a creative resurgence for the pop prince, who remains embroiled in a lawsuit with Kesha. His chart domination was followed by his fi rst Grammy nomination in seven years - cementing his comeback. That has the music world is split - some believe the art and the person should be separated, while others have blasted the Recording Academy for re- warding the hitmaker with a nomination for one of its top prizes. But not all of the academy members may have been aware they were voting for Dr. Luke when they completed their bal- Dr Luke lots this year. That’s because he used a moniker - Tyson Trax - for Doja Cat’s “Say So,” which he produced and co-wrote. The hit tune is competing for record of the year, where Dr. Luke is in contention as the song’s producer. “It’s diffi cult to say whether or not Grammy voters are aware that ‘Tyson Trax’ is used as a pseudonym,” Harvey Mason Jr., the academy’s interim president and CEO, said in a statement to The Associated Press. “While it’s true that the ‘Tyson Trax’ producer credit would be visible on the ballot entry, I would imagine This image provided by Harpo Productions shows Prince Harry, (from left), and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in conversation with Oprah Winfrey. ‘Oprah with that a lot of voters were making their selection with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special’ airs March 7. (AP) Doja Cat in mind, thinking primarily about the artistic merits of her performance.” Doja Cat, who released her debut EP on Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label in 2014 before Kesha’s lawsuit, is Royals also nominated for best new artist and best pop solo performance at the March 14 Grammys. Dr. Luke pro- duced multiple songs on her sophomore album “Hot Pink.” Those include the double-platinum success “Juicy” and the Gucci Mane-assisted hit “Like That,” UK waits for Harry, Meghan’s take on royal split which reached No. 3 on the R&B charts last year. For those songs, he’s credited as Tyson Trax. Record ‘To talk without royals’ input liberating’ “I didn’t know that Tyson Trax was Dr. Luke. I could have looked it up, but I didn’t, and I didn’t LOS ANGELES, March 6, (AP): who might otherwise have supported McCain, a conservative columnist and care. It’s a name and I’m voting on the artistic merit Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has them will fi nd this just a little bit dis- daughter of the late US Sen. John Mc- of the record, so it didn’t matter,” said Susan Rogers, described to Oprah Winfrey how “lib- tasteful, that they’re drawing all this Cain. a professor at Berklee College of Music and Prince’s erating” it was to have a conversation attention to themselves … just at this “I think we can’t ignore the elephant former staff engineer who is a Grammy voter. - let alone a sit-down interview - with time when Prince Philip appears to be of the room that there’s probably a “Your judgment should be based upon who did the the television host without royal mind- quite seriously ill.” racial angle to this,’’ McCain said. best, most creative, most artistic work during the year; ers. Though it is the choice of CBS when “There’s a lot of racism directed at this what work is going to advance the state of the indus- “CBS This Morning” aired a clip on to air its pre-recorded interview, crit- woman, in a lot of different ways she try. That’s the only thing that we’re voting on,” she Friday of Winfrey speaking to Meghan ics are already lining up to deride it as threatens a lot of people in the patriar- said. “Anytime we bring anything else into that mix Doja Cat accepts the award for favor- about a conversation they had before a brand-building exercise by the pair, chy. ... It just looks like they are bully- - how we feel about someone personally, whether we ite female soul/R&B artist at the Amer- the actor’s wedding to Prince Harry in who left Britain saying they wanted ing her in the press.’’ like them or dislike them, know them or don’t know ican Music Awards in Los Angeles on May 2018. to live a normal life but have been ac- It was all supposed to be so differ- them - we’re being unfair to all the others.” Nov 22, 2020. Dr. Luke, the contro- The clip opens with Winfrey de- cused of continuing to use their royal ent. Dr. Luke, 47, has also used the Tyson Trax pseu- versial music producer and hitmaker scribing how she asked for an inter- status to open doors and make money. At the time Harry started dating donym for his contribution to Toronto rapper-singer rose to the top of the Billboard charts view and Meghan recounting how The sit-down with America’s queen Meghan, the British public seemed Benny Mayne’s “Hokey Pokey.” He’s been referred with Doja Cat’s ubiquitous funk-pop there were others in the room and she of celebrity interviews is a chance for smitten with the beautiful young wom- to as MADE IN CHINA for his work with pop sing- jam ‘Say So.’ (AP) wasn’t even supposed to be speaking the couple to explain what led them to an who starred for seven seasons on er Kim Petras. His producer credit on Lil Wayne’s with Winfrey. quit royal life, citing what they said the US television drama “Suits.” When “Shimmy” from his 2020 album “Funeral”? Loctor “As an adult who lived a really in- were the unbearable intrusions and they married in 2018, newspapers were Duke. dependent life to then go into this con- racist attitudes of the British media. fi lled with optimistic stories about how Evan Minsker, news editor for the music publica- Variety struct that is um.. different than I think A book about their departure, “Find- the energetic couple would help make tion Pitchfork, admitted that some of his colleagues what people imagine it to be, it’s really ing Freedom,” also alleges that senior the monarchy relevant for a new, mul- didn’t recognize Dr. Luke was Tyson Trax: “It’s their liberating to be able to have the right royals had little respect for Meghan, a ticultural Britain. job to be plugged in (and) they didn’t know Dr. Luke NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans and the privilege in some ways to be biracial former actor, and that courtiers But less than two years later they de- was Tyson Trax.” Museum of Art has announced a major able to say yes,” Meghan tells Win- treated her badly. camped to North America. After a brief “I think there probably are a lot of cases of (Dr. gift to its photography department — the frey. stay in Canada, the couple settled in third such announcement this month. Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Fears Meghan’s home state of California, buy- Luke) sneaking under the radar, people not connect- Collectors Cherye R. and James F. ing what his other pseudonyms are with who he is,” and Harry is set to air Sunday night in Pre-released clips have already ing a house in the exclusive Santa Bar- Pierce have given the museum more shown Harry talking about his fears Minsker said. than 260 important photographs, a news the United States on CBS and will air bara County enclave of Montecito that “Regardless of who he is and what his various release said. in Britain on Monday evening. that history would repeat itself after reportedly cost more than $14 million. names are, clearly there is some kind of proven re- They include a print of Robert Capa’s Despite stepping back from royal his mother, Princess Diana, died in a Among their neighbors: Oprah Winfrey. sult in what Dr. Luke and Doja Cat did together,” he “The Falling Soldier,” taken in 1936 duties a year ago and moving to Cali- car crash while pursued by paparazzi. Then came deals with Netfl ix and continued. “I think while maybe some people didn’t during the Spanish Civil War, and the fornia, there still intense interest in the In another clip from the interview, Spotifi y, reportedly worth millions. know, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people did and 1932 photograph titled “Behind the Gare couple and their relationship with the Winfrey asks Meghan how she feels The commercial deals and headline- just don’t really have a hard time falling asleep at St. Lazare,” which many consider Henri royal family. about the palace “hearing you speak grabbing amounts are uncomfortable night after putting his name through.” Cartier-Bresson’s best work. Another When Meghan was asked what was your truth today?” for the royal family, which has devoted Dr. Luke was last in Grammy contention in 2014 print of that Cartier-Bresson photograph right about doing the interview now, “I don’t know how they could ex- itself to public service as a justifi cation when he competed for non-classical producer and re- sold at a London auction in 2017 for she said it was because of the couple’s pect that, after all of this time, we for its wealth and privilege.