Prodigy, a rapper best-known as half of the duo Mobb Deep, has died, at age 42, of complications from sickle-cell anemia. Prodigy "kiln-fired New York hip-hop into a thing of unhurried attitude and stoic elegance," writes the New York Times. "Prodigy brought a no-nonsense personality and a vivid eye for detail to his lyrics, which were brutal evocations of cruel street life in the Queensbridge housing projects, and sometimes achingly poetic."

Rock Hall to expand to Japan

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced plans to expand to Japan with a permanent museum space in Tokyo. "Japan is the second-largest music market in the world, making it the perfect place for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's first international expansion," said Hall of Fame president Greg Harris. A temporary exhibit will open in Tokyo this fall, to be followed by the opening of a permanent venue. (Rolling Stone)

New Foo for you

Foo Fighters have announced their ninth studio album. Concrete and Gold will be out Sept. 15, with 11 tracks including a few songs that fans have already heard. One of those, "Run," recently premiered with a video directed by Dave Grohl himself. (Pitchfork)

Filthy Friends take their collaboration to wax

Filthy Friends are a supergroup containing members of R.E.M. (Peter Buck), Sleater-Kinney (Corine Tucker), King Crimson, and others. They've been playing live since 2012 and have released a Record Store Day single; now, Filthy Friends have announced their debut album. Invitation comes out Aug. 25, followed by a tour that Rolling Stone says will be "lengthy," although only six dates have been announced so far. The first single, "The Arrival," is out now.

Sponsored songs will sneak into Spotify

Spotify is about to give users another reason to upgrade from a free to a paid subscription: a feature that's now being tested will allow labels to pay to insert songs into playlists followed by non-paying users. The streaming giant continues to lose money, even as it rapidly expands its user base. (Pitchfork)

Adele shares love with London firefighters

On Monday, Adele visited a London fire station to support a group of firefighters who helped combat the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze last week. A big group of British artists are also reportedly recording an all-star cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to benefit victims of the fire. That song could be out as soon as this Wednesday. (Billboard)