Ozuna Signs with Scooter Braun‘s SB Projects

Ozuna is hoping to build up his music empire with a little extra braun

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and rapper has signed with Scooter Braun‘s SB Projects.

Ozuna

The management deal is a partnership with Edgar Andino, founder and CEO of Andino Marketing Group.

Ozuna joins a SB Projects roster that includes Justin BieberAriana Grande and Demi Lovato, among others.

The company also previously managed Colombian powerhouse J Balvin, who parted ways with SB in June 2022 and is now signed to Roc Nation.

“I’m confident that Scooter and his team’s global music expertise will open doors into new markets,” Ozuna said in a statement. “We all share the same strategic vision and direction to keep spreading my music worldwide. I’m truly excited about all the new opportunities the future holds.”

“His music is a true voice of his community, and we look forward to working with him here at Hybe on a global scale,” Braun, CEO of HYBE America, added.

A key figure in Ozuna’s team, Andino has helped the singer-songwriter land global deals that range from NFT collaborations to releasing a song for the Call of Duty video game.

Most recently, he led negotiations for Ozuna’s inclusion in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Soundtrack, performing “Arhbo” with rapper GIMS. The uplifting song, which they performed at the World Cup’s closing ceremony, peaked at No. 1 Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart.

“Working with Ozuna over these past years, one thing is for certain, we always go big,” added Andino.  “For us, Scooter and SB Projects align with our vision. They are the perfect partners to help in our continued approach and take Ozuna to the next level of his career. We cannot be more thrilled and cannot wait for everyone to see what we have coming next.”

In May, he released Afro, a seven-track EP where he experiments with Afrobeats. It followed his 2022 studio album, Ozutochi, which landed at No. 5 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Ozuna is set to embark on his Afro Tour across Europe this summer, which has 16 confirmed dates, including stops in France, Spain, Italy, Israel and Holland. The monthlong trek kicks off July 7 in France and wraps Aug. 6 in Spain.

“We’ve been following Ozuna’s career for years and we’re excited to be bringing him into the family to work with him and Edgar,” Jennifer McDaniels, president of management at SB Projects, said in a statement.

“Ozuna’s music is unmatched.  His ability to work across genres including reggaeton, Latin pop, and more, is phenomenal. With unique songs offering fresh perspective and beautiful sounds, we’re thrilled to amplify his artistry with this partnership.”

Banda MS’s Corrido “141” to Become First Regional Song Featured in “Call of Duty” Video Game Series

Banda MS is making history while getting in the game…

The Mexican banda’s new corrido “141” will become the first Regional Mexican song to appear in a Call of Duty video game series.

Banda-MSThe track is set to be integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, with “several” versions of the song heard throughout different parts of the game.

“141” is inspired by the members of the Task Force 141 and soldier Alejandro Vargas from the Mexican Special Forces, and ties in with the narrative of the newest installment of the first-person shooter game.

While Call of Duty has collaborated with Latin musicians in the past, most recently Ozuna, it’s the first time the video game franchise — developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision — taps a Regional Mexican act to collaborate on a new song for one of its series.

“It’s a huge step for the game and the community,” says Rodrigo Pérez, Call of Duty‘s senior franchise manager, Latin America. “We wanted to tell the story of Task Force 141 in a unique way, and we believe the song goes to the very essence of the characters and the story we are telling with Modern Warfare II.”

For the chart-topping supergroup, not only does “141” mark the first corrido they’ve released in 10 years, but it becomes an opportunity to showcase their traditional banda music on a global level, while also bringing in a new source of revenue.

“The franchise’s team in Latin America is mainly composed of Mexicans who love and respect our culture so, along with their team, we made sure that the song made sense for the game,” says Oswaldo Silvas, one of Banda MS’ vocalists. “We’re really proud to be part of the game’s DNA, and we would be honored to keep doing more of these collaborations because all eyes are on video games and for us, it’s a great opportunity to capture a new audience.”

The opportunity is for both sides with Call of Duty also strategically tapping and catering to the Hispanic market across Latin America. “Mexico and the Hispanic market have had a very strong passion towards the Call of Duty franchise for a long time, and with Modern Warfare II we had an amazing opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural legacy,” adds Pérez.

For a Mexican music song to be featured on Call of Duty, it only reinforces the genre’s newfound popularity across the U.S. and beyond. Once a niche genre, regional Mexican has gained an international following in recent years thanks to artists such as Banda MS, who have stayed true to their traditional Sinaloan banda roots but has also embraced the fusion of regional with genres from around the world.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will become available for purchase on October 28 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, PC and Xbox One.

Juan Soto Wins This Year’s Home Run Derby

Juan Soto is officially a batting champion…

The 23-year-old Dominican professional baseball outfielder won $1 million on Monday with a swing that’s worth much more.

Juan SotoShaking off trade rumors that threatened to sully his MLB All-Star week, Soto beat a legend and held off a rookie to win the Home Run Derby and the big-money prize that accompanied it in front of a sold-out Dodger Stadium crowd.

After recently turning down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension from the Washington Nationals, Soto arrived in Los Angeles early Monday morning with his future in doubt ahead of the August 2 trade deadline. He emerged unbothered. When asked before the Derby whether he was going to win it, his answer was characteristically Soto: “Probably.” And on that prediction he came through, vanquishing Albert Pujols in the semifinals and Julio Rodriguez in the finals.

“I’m a lone survivor,” Soto said. “I’ve been going through all this stuff, and I’m still here standing up and with my chin up, all the time. And that shows you I can go through anything.”

Anything, in this case, included a day of answering questions he can’t possibly answer, including whether the Nationals will trade him before the August 2 deadline or where he might wind up. Soto instead worried about his powerful left-handed swing, shooting balls to all fields and finishing the finals with 19 home runs to the 18 of his Dominican Republic countryman Rodríguez.

Juan SotoAt 23 years, 266 days old, Soto became the second-youngest Derby champion — just a day older than 1993 winner Juan Gonzalez.

Until the finals, the Derby had been the latest episode of the J-Rod Show. Rodriguez, the precocious 21-year-old Seattle Mariners outfielder, ambushed the field Monday night, ousting the two-time defending champion and smashing 81 home runs.

The first hitter of the night, Rodriguez set the tone for his showing with 32 home runs in his first-round matchup against the Texas Rangers Corey Seager. Then came Pete Alonso, the New York Mets slugger who won the last two competitions in 2019 and 2021 but mustered only 23 home runs in the semifinals, well short of Rodriguez’s 31.

Then came his matchup with Soto, against whom, Rodriguez said, he used to play Call of Duty games. Rodriguez was better at COD. Soto, at least on Monday, was superior at HRD.

“What did I show the fans?” Rodriguez said. “Who I am, I guess. They know a little bit now.”

Rodriguez, who is earning the MLB minimum salary of $700,000 this year, received a $500,000 bonus as the runner-up.

Soto was locked in from the beginning, beating Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez in the first round and St. Louis Cardinals great Pujols in the semifinals.

Pujols, 42, is in his final season — and upset Philadelphia‘s Kyle Schwarber, the No. 1 seed, in the first round, beating him in an overtime period. He couldn’t keep up with Soto, whose 482-foot home run in the first round was the longest of the night.

“I wasn’t sure if I should beat him or let him beat me, but just the respect — I respect him a lot,” Soto said. “Even though I beat him at the end of the day, it’s just a competition. He knows how much I’m proud of him and how much talent he brings to all the generations and advice that he gives to us.”

Whatever Soto’s future, wherever he winds up, whether he’s moved before this deadline or after, he said he would walk away from this All-Star week sure of one thing.

“I will be a Home Run Derby champion forever,” he said.

Ozuna Teams Up with “Call of Duty” Mobile Game for Large Scale Partnership

Ozuna is answering the call (of duty)…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer has become the first artist to score a large-scale partnership with the Call of Duty mobile game.

Ozuna

Ozuna’s partnership with Call of Duty: Mobile includes an official skin (an outfit for player avatars) and other in-game content, timed to the release of the game’s seventh season, “Elite of the Elite,” out August 25.

That day, he’s also releasing an original song, titled “A La Buena El Mejor,” to serve as the season’s official theme. While the first-person shooter game has collaborated with musicians in the past, it has never signed up an artist to a partnership this extensive.

Call of Duty: Elite of the Elite, Ozuna

“It’s a dream opportunity for my brand, for my name, to step up my career,” Ozuna tells Billboard. “I want to do something different for the culture.”

The collaboration gives Ozuna access to the vast audience of players on Call of Duty: Mobile, which launched in October 2019 and has since crossed 500 million worldwide downloads. Ozuna says that the game’s global reach is an exposure opportunity not just for his music, but for reggaeton and Latin music as a whole. “A La Buena El Mejor” is sung entirely in Spanish.

“My music culture goes up, reggaeton goes up,” thanks to the partnership, he says. “Call of Duty is an opportunity for my culture.”

Call of Duty: Mobile vice president of product and GM Matt Lewis adds that the partnership allows for the “cross-pollination” of fanbases, helping Ozuna’s fans discover the game just as much as it helps players discover Ozuna. The fact that Ozuna is already a frequent Call of Duty player sealed the deal.

“When we learned that Ozuna was a player, we thought this would be a great opportunity to celebrate that,” Lewis says. “[He] didn’t just want to give players the basics. He wanted to go deep with this collaboration and provide an experience for the players.”

Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez Named Fan Favorite Esports Host at the Gamers’ Choice Awards

Alex GoldenboyMendez has some series game…

The Puerto Rican professional esports commentator and host was one of the winners of the first Gamers’ Choice Awards.

Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez

Mendez, a host/commentator on multiple games including Call of DutyHalo and most recently, Overwatch, was named Fan Favorite Esports Host.

The winners were announced over the weekendon a CBSbroadcast, led by gamer Ninja copping three honors.

KISS kicked off the show with an homage to the creative genius of comics creator Stan Lee, who is credited with laying the foundation for many games and gaming characters.

Here are the winners in the 50 categories:

Fan Favorite Game: Fortnite
Fan Favorite Male Gamer/Streamer presented by Overpowered: TimTheTatman 
Fan Favorite Female Gamer/Streamer:  Pokimane
Most Anticipated Game: The Last of Us II  
Fan Favorite Action Game: Marvel’s Spider-Man
Fan Favorite Single Player Gaming Experience: Marvel’s Spider-Man
Fan Favorite Multiplayer Game: Fortnite 
Fan Favorite Shooter Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Fan Favorite Celebrity Gamer (Actor): Terry Crews
Fan Favorite Celebrity Gamer (Athlete): Juju Smith-Schuster
Fan Favorite Celebrity Gamer (Musician): Snoop Dogg
Fan Favorite Esports Team: FaZe Clan
Fan Favorite Esports Game: Fortnite
Fan Favorite Esports Player (League of Legends): Faker
Fan Favorite Battle Royale Game: Fortnite 
Fan Favorite Fighting Game: DragonBall FighterZ
Fan Favorite Sports/Racing Game: Rocket League
Fan Favorite Family-Friendly Multiplayer Game: Super Mario Party
Fan Favorite Role-Playing Game: Monster Hunter: World 
Fan Favorite MMORPG: World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Fan Favorite VR Game: Beat Saber
Fan Favorite Mobile Game: Pokémon GO 
Most Desired Franchise Resurrection: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Fan Favorite Indie Game: Subnautica 
Fan Favorite Gaming Device: PC
Fan Favorite Gaming Convention: TwitchCon 
Favorite Streaming Service: Twitch 
Fan Favorite Gaming Moment presented by HyperX: Drake plays with Ninja
Fan Favorite Female Voice Actor: Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft (Shadow of the Tomb Raider)
Fan Favorite Character of the Year: Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Marvel’s Spider-Man
Fan Favorite Retro Game: Super Mario Brothers
Fan Favorite Retro Character: Mario (Super Mario Bros.)
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Dota 2): Miracle 
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Super Smash Bros Melee): Magn0 
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Dragon Ball FighterZ): SonicFox
Fan Favorite Esports Player (CS:GO): s1mple
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Overwatch): Profit
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Rocket League): Squishy 
Fan Favorite Esports Player (PUBG): Fuzzface
Fan Favorite Esports Player (Fortnite): Ninja
Fan Favorite Overall Esports Player: Ninja
Fan Favorite Esports Caster Duo: Monte and Doa
Fan Favorite Esports Caster: CouRage
Fan Favorite Esports Event of the Year: Call of Duty: World League Grand Finals 
Fan Favorite Esports Moment: Cloud9 Wins Boston Major
Fan Favorite Esports League Format: Fortnite – Community Skirmishes
Fan Favorite Male Voice Actor: Christopher Judge as Kratos (God of War)
Fan Favorite Collegiate Esports Team Presented by iBuyPower: Ohio State
Fan Favorite Esports Host: Alex ‘Goldenboy’ Mendez 
Fan Favorite Fall Release: Red Dead Redemption 2

Roberto Orci Bringing Galaga Arcade Game to Television

Roberto Orci is helping bring the popular arcade game Galaga to the small scree…

The 45-year-old Mexican film and television screenwriter and producerand Emmy-winning animation studio ShadowMachine have joined the effort by digital studio The Nuttery Entertainment to bring to life the animated sci-fi saga Galaga Chronicles, a story based on Bandai Namco’s classic arcade game.

Roberto Orci 

The Nuttery announced the project at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The animated re-imagining of the iconic game is planned for a 12-episode inaugural season. The series is being shopped for distribution but anticipates a late 2019/early 2020 premiere.

Long before the days of Call of Duty and Mario Kart, Galaga, was the arcade video game to play. In the retro video game similar to Space Invadersthe player controlled a starfighter and the objective was to destroy insect-like alien creatures to rack up as many points as possible.

Orci will work with The Nuttery to shape the vast and sprawling Galaga Chronicles universe and also will serve as an executive producer. Known for the films Transformers, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Star Trek and creator of the television shows Sleepy Hollow and ScorpionOrci also will serve as an executive producer.

“Galaga is one of the games I played growing up,” Orci said. “I have fond memories of the quarters and hours upon hours I spent playing the game. I look forward to working with The Nuttery and to capture that magic in an exciting new format.”

ShadowMachine, producer of television shows BoJack Horseman, Robot Chicken and Final Spacewill be the animation production company. “This is by far one of the best video game adaptations I’ve ever read or been a part of. It is an absolute playground for animation.” ShadowMachine founder and CEO Alexander Bulkley said.

“We couldn’t be more stoked to have this level of creativity and craftsmanship on board our space adventure,” said Magnus Jansson, CEO of The Nuttery. “Roberto’s incredible sense of story and science fiction mastery and ShadowMachine’s excellent animation and design chops have already elevated the project to the next level. I think we are sitting on an amazing origin story for Galaga that will not disappoint.”