Mariah Carey racked up the
most entries 11 on Billboard's Top 100 Songs by Female Solo Artists,
and her "We Belong Together" took the No. 1 spot. Toni Braxton, Beyoncé,
Whitney Houston, Ashanti, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and
Rihanna are also featured on the tally. Meanwhile, check out
Glamour.com to see how to win a new,
exclusive Mariah DVD.
Mary J. Blige has been tapped to perform at a
LIFEbeat benefit concert in New York on Dec. 4. The event, dubbed Live
Beats, will honor BET executive Stephen Hill. Meanwhile, Mary gets the
silhouette treatment in Apple's newest commercial for the iPod. In the
clip, the songbird is singing "Work That," the second single from her
upcoming disc, Growing Pains (due Dec. 18).
A federal judge granted T.I. his release from
jail on
$3 million bond at an Atlanta hearing on Friday, but ruled that the rapper
must remain under house arrest while he awaits trial on weapons charges.
The rhyme-spitter is restricted to the home and will be kept under 24-hour
surveillance by a private monitoring service.
Alicia Keys and Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat
Girls have been officially added to the performance lineup at the American
Music Awards, airing Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Meanwhile, Alicia belted
out songs from her upcoming disc, As I Am (due Nov. 13), at Thursday's
star-studded Black Ball benefit for the Keep a Child Alive organization.
She was joined by honoree Bono for a rendition of their charity song
"Don't Give Up" at the New York event.
Christopher Reid from Kid and Play was
cornered on a
street in Cali by TMZ at
2am in the morning and asked what he thought about Britney Spears.
He said that the Spears family should come and get her. Take her
away from everything. Unfortunately Chris was a lil tipsy at the time so
it was a alcohol filled curse fest but his message was clear. He said if
he had messed up that bad his Jamaican family would have came for him and
took him away.
He does look different, his high top fade gone and the wet conk look to
his hair now, but good, what do you think..
Akon had problems, several people were injured while
setting up for a Akon Concert at Emory University in Atlanta. Crews
working to set up lights on the stage for today (Fri 26th), Fall Band
Party starring Akon, when they heard the canopy crack and fall, causing
the left side of the stage to collapse. Akon was not in the area at
the time of the collapse, but 2-3 people were including students were
injured. Fire trucks and campus police responded quickly. Tonight's
show may have been canceled.
A judge in California ruled Monday that the Jackson
5's Jermaine Jackson must pay upward of $11,000 per month in spousal and
child support to ex-wife Alejandra. The justice also rejected Jermaine's
motion for equal custody of the couple's children, Jaffar and Jermajesty,
ordering that the issue be determined in a mediation court. The singer
currently sees the two boys on alternating weekends.
Ciara will launch a five-city, five-party tour on
Friday to celebrate her 22nd birthday. Parties will be held in nightclubs
in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Miami before a final gala on
Halloween in the Bahamas. Each stop along the way will feature a
red-carpet celebration unique to the area, with help from stylist June
Ambrose.
Although Mary J. Blige has little drama left in her
life, the singer says her new disc, Growing Pains (due Dec. 11), details
her recovery from her personal struggles. "It's about finally not whining
about the pain [but] accepting the pain that comes with growing," she
explains. Check out the new video for the album's first single, "Just
Fine," right here
Lil Wayne reportedly didn't
show up for a scheduled rap concert at a North Carolina high school Sunday
night, leaving 4,000 fans disappointed and demanding answers. Unconfirmed
reports suggest that the rapper didn't want to perform because he wasn't
happy with the small crowd and that the venue didn't produce enough ticket
sales. No word if the concertgoers would receive a refund.
Alicia Keys and Earth, Wind
& Fire head the bill for this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which will
be held in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11. The international musical event will
pay tribute to this year's Nobel Peace Prize winners, including former
Vice President Al Gore, and is set to broadcast to more than 100
countries.
T-Pain has several projects lined up for 2008. The
cameo king is planning to launch his own digital imprint called Nappy Boy
in January. In addition, the vocoder crooner has partnered with eyewear
company Oakley to create a signature line of "Oil Can" frames. Finally,
T-Pain will join Kanye West on his Glow in the Dark tour, which is set to
kick off in early 2008.
For the sixth nonconsecutive week, Soulja Boy's
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" is the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. Kanye West's "Stronger" stays at No. 2 and Timbaland's "Apologize"
featuring OneRepublic creeps up to No. 3 on the strength of 133,000
downloads. Meanwhile, check out former NFL star Jerry Rice showing his
dancing skills by performing the Soulja Boy dance
here.
Vanessa Hudgens had been worried that because of the
nude pictures that surfaced would mess up her chances with Disney.
But it seems Disney did not drop her and she may be in High School 3
movie. She worked hard to do damage control by hitting the circuit. It
would be bad for Disney to drop her, she is a hot product that has many
years ahead of her
If you are just at home wondering what to do this
Monday the 22nd, you can check out:
Rockers on Broadway Salutes Motown
Hosted by Caroline Rhea
at BB Kings Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd. Street in NYC. The
take goes to charity and the best Broadway singers will be singing.
Nelly's Brass Knuckles, in stores Nov. 13, features a
collaboration
with Public Enemy rapper Chuck D. The track, "Self Esteem," is an
uplifting jam that Nelly says is indicative of the album's socially
conscious vibe. Another rap legend, KRS-One, recently spoke out in support
of Nelly. "Regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, Nelly is a seller
of music. He's the reason hip-hop is $10.5 billion annually, not me."
Soulja Boy is reportedly facing a lawsuit
from another rapper named Souljah Boy (spelled with an "h"). The "Crank
Dat" rapper is accused of infringing and misappropriating the moniker that
Souljah has used for nearly 12 years. Soulja Boy's rep says they have not
been contacted about the suit yet, and that his client's full artist name
is Soulja Boy Tell 'Em anyhow.
T.I.
was arrested Saturday on federal gun
charges just hours before he
was to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards
in Atlanta. The rapper was charged with illegal possession of unregistered
machine guns, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Despite missing the event, T.I. won two honors, including CD of the Year (T.I.
vs. T.I.P.), which he shared with fellow double winner Common. Kanye West
also took home two trophies, including one for Best Hip-Hop Video
("Stronger").
Britney
Spears just won a Victory in an emergency session on Thursday 10/11. She
won a limited visitation for one night a week. She will have to have a
guardian there, she asked that the guardian be her mother, with whom she
just reconciled with. She is enjoying the victory, it is one that
most men enjoying. The limited visitation, it is not the best of
situation but at least she will see the children.
50 Cent was bestowed with a key to
the city of Bridgeport, Conn., from Mayor John Fabrizi, as he proclaimed
Oct. 12 "50 Cent Day." The rapper was also on hand to donate a check to
the local youth organization Hall Neighborhood House. 50 currently is in
Bridgeport filming a movie called Righteous Kill with Oscar winners Al
Pacino and Robert De Niro.
It was only a matter of time before
Beyoncé, who has albums,
movies, concerts, perfume and a clothing line with her mom - got her own
cell-phone, too. Beyoncé has unveiled her own limited-edition cell phone
called the B'Phone, which is a another version of the Samsung Upstage. The
burgundy-and-gold mobile device contains preloaded music videos and
pictures of the songbird, plus an unreleased tune that B performed when
she was 10 years old. The phone, which is available to Sprint customers,
will be sold for $99 exclusively at select Wal-Mart stores. I can
see the line of teenies now..
Jay-Z has
revealed plans to create a film based upon his
upcoming American Gangster album, which is itself based on next month's
Denzel Washington movie. "[I'm] doing it like a musical," he says. "[With]
real stories and . . . real writing." The album hits stores Nov. 6.
Meanwhile, Jay is also gathering a band for a 2008 tour. Finally, the
rapper was however unsuccessful in his bid to name a New Jersey arena
after his Rocawear clothing line. Adding more to the plate, Jay-Z is set
to hit the road next month to perform tracks from his highly anticipated
album
American Gangster, which is due to hit stores Nov. 6. The five-city,
weeklong trek will hit Los Angeles (Nov. 6), Chicago (Nov. 7), Baltimore
(Nov. 9), New York (Nov. 11) and Philadelphia (Nov. 12). The Denzel
Washington flick American
Gangster opens in theaters Nov. 2.
Pamela
Anderson got married this past weekend.
Which lit up many photogs lives by taking some nice pic's. Her
3rd marriage to Paris Hilton's Ex, Rick Salomon with a gray mini dress, at
a wedding in Vegas. She is his assistant. Pam's ex, Kid Rock
was talking with Larry King when the subject came up, he wished her well
and was flabbergasted. The couple married were married during the 90
minute break between Hans Klok's Magic shows at the Mirage. Pam is his
assistant. What was interesting was, the cake was made of cardboard cause
the baker didn't have enough time to do a real one.
Lil Wayne walked out of jail Saturday
on $20,000 bail in
Boise, Idaho, following his Friday arrest on felony fugitive charges
issued in Georgia. The rapper apparently failed to appear in an Atlanta
courtroom to answer drug-possession charges stemming from a 2006 incident.
Wayne's attorney said the arrest was a "misunderstanding." The
rhyme-slinger, who is due back in court Tuesday, was unable to perform
Saturday at a Eugene, Oregon, show because of his incarceration.
Imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery for
R&B "it" kid Soulja Boy, whose
infectious dance single, "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)," has inspired countless
YouTube clips. "It takes a lot of time to sit down and edit a video,"
Soulja says. "I love them all, I hope [fans] keep doing it." Meanwhile,
"Crank Dat" takes the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the fourth
time this week. (AP/Jam!
Music)
The future sale of the now defunct
rap label Death Row Records is in limbo as claims to the rightful
ownership of the royalties to Dr. Dre's The Chronic and 2Pac's music
catalog are being ironed out. According to sources, music publisher
Evergreen Copyrights and independent rap label Koch Records are in the
running to buy Death Row, which is valued at $2 million.
Keyshia Cole's second LP, Just
Like You, debuts at
the No. 2 slot of the Billboard 200 album chart with first-week sales of
281,000 copies. Also scoring a big debut is Philly songbird Jill Scott,
whose third effort, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, finishes at
No. 4 with 148,000 units moved.
The Circle
Manhattan
October, 23 2007 at The Circle - Manhattan
Theatre Club’s Creative Center
311 West 43rd Street, New York, New York 10036
Cost : $20.00
Visit
www.RPDieguez.com/circle_manhattan.html for complete details and
discount on admission. Industry Speaker: Jerry Lembo Host and Legal
Speaker: Richard P. Dieguez, Esq. Networking, Prizes, Freebies, Listening
Party.
Soulja Boy's dance anthem "Crank That
(Soulja Boy)" has retained the top spot on the Billboard 100 singles chart
for a fifth nonconsecutive week. Meanwhile, Soulja is set to march on his
fall tour, which kicks off in Richmond, Va., on Thursday. The monthlong
trek will come to a close in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 7.
The-Dream has issued a formal apology
to Chris Brown after
making some heated remarks about the teen singer concerning J. Holiday's
"Bed," which originally was penned for Chris. Dream felt that Chris'
comments in Vibe magazine about "Bed" were disrespectful to him, and vowed
to never work with the young crooner. Since then, The-Dream has talked
with Chris and the two have ironed things out.
The premiere Talk show host Montel
Williams and his fiancée, Tara Fowler, wed before an intimate gathering of
friends and family Saturday the 6th, in the hot afternoon in Bermuda.
Montel, who is now 51, proposed to Fowler, 36, a former American Airlines
flight attendant, on July 12, 2006, in front of both of their families at
Manhattan’s Tavern on the Green restaurant. Montel's 18-year-old daughter
Maressa (from his first marriage) served as one of Fowler’s bridesmaids.
It seems according to TMZ, that
Jennifer Lopez may be pregnant with Twins. She is doing well, she
just may be since the bump on her mid-section keeps getting bigger.
But not to scare anyone but she almost fell while performing on a conveyor
belt at Mohegan Sun Casino in CT. Oh but her new album 'Brave' is
doing well on the boards.
Britney Spears is
full
of whoa, she just lost custody of the kids. Ex-husband Kevin
Federline will take Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning
Wednesday "until further order of the court," Los Angeles County Court
Commissioner Scott M. Gordon ruled Monday. I guess he got
tired of her craziness in the press and has ordered them to Kevin till he
makes his next order on custody. As usual we shall see what happens
next, if she thought she lost them now, if she messes up due to this, she
will lose them for a longer than this pans out to be. Spears is
being ordered to relinquish her children by a judge who had cited her
drug-and-alcohol-fueled lifestyle. She will be allowed supervised
visitation, and for all men who have had it, it sucks. They will be
seen back in court on the 26th. Now to add insult to injury,
Britney's neighbor gets into
it with her sister.
Kanye West took part in a self-deprecating
skit focusing on his award show meltdowns on this past weekend's Saturday
Night Live. View his mock 106 & Park appearance
On this
link. Then, courtesy of Kanye's new
blog, you can check
out performances from the show of "Stronger"/"Good Life" and
"Champion"/"Everything I Am". Also in the mix of things, Kanye blocked
MTV's cameras during an interview with Us Weekly at the magazine's Hot
Hollywood party last week.
Olivia Newton John has a new
Christmas Album this year. She is excited to do the album and it is
in stores soon. She is one of the poster celebrities that has
had breast cancer and is part of the awareness. I know it hits home
with me having my ex going through it now. Offering prayers to her
and all going to it. Olivia is doing a special on public TV on
Tuesday the 2nd.
RADIOHEAD, one of rock's most popular
acts, shocked and awed fans yesterday by announcing that its new album,
"In Rainbows," would be digitally available next week .
Kanye
West is ready to take his new album tour Graduation on the road. The
rapper-producer is performing a handful of shows starting Oct. 12 in
Nashville. From there, 'Ye will hit Vancouver, Canada, on Oct. 17;
Winnipeg, Canada, on Oct. 18; Philadelphia on Oct. 19; and Boston on Oct.
29. He's also scheduled to play the Bang Music Festival in Miami on Nov.
10. Now do you not want tickets...ticketmaster.com
is the ticket man.
Quincy Jones is among six musicians
who will be bestowed with the National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz
Masters Award during a gala ceremony in Canada on Jan. 12. The legendary
maestro is being saluted for his distinguished contributions to the genre.
Quincy will be presented with a $25,000 fellowship at the event, as well
as participate in the NEA's activities and musical programs.
It seems however that a Doctor over
prescribed testosterone to wrestler Chris Benoit in order to combat a
hormone condition.
This came to light in the criminal case against Benoit's personal Dr. Phil
Astin. Feds charged Astin with over-prescribing medication to 2
other patients also. More charges are expected. Chris had more
than 10 times the amount of testosterone in his system when the man died.
Police said Benoit strangled his wife Nancy, 7 year old son, then finally
hanged himself last June in their Atlanta home. A testament to what
can happen in Roid Rage incidents.
Check out
NYC's best Haunted house attraction. It
is located in NYC and a fun place to get your wits scared out of you.
It is just opened and a great time for your dinner friends.
Justin Timberlake has two new releases planned for
November. First, FutureSex LoveShow Live From Madison Square Garden, a
double-disc DVD set featuring footage from an August show in New York,
will be available exclusively at Best Buy on Nov. 20. One week later, a
deluxe edition of FutureSex/LoveSounds, featuring Justin's hit duet with
Beyoncé, "Until the End of Time," and a bonus DVD, will hit stores.
Nas caused an uproar when he recently announced that
he had chosen the N-Word as the title of his next disc. But a source close
to Def Jam insists the rapper doesn't even have a new studio CD coming
out. "And they would be unlikely to release an album with that title,"
adds the source. Meanwhile, the retrospective Nas's, Greatest Hits will
hit stores on Nov. 6.
Kanye West will provide the opening entertainment for
2007's
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which CBS will broadcast Dec. 4 at 10
p.m. ET. Aside from the Louis Vuitton Don, other artists set to take the
stage at the star-studded evening gala include singer Seal and the
reunited Spice Girls. The show will mark the Spice Girls' first television
performance since re-forming.
Mariah Carey has pushed back the release date for her
highly anticipated forthcoming album. Originally scheduled to drop Dec. 4,
the as-yet-untitled disc will now hit stores sometime in February.
Meanwhile, Mariah is set to appear on Tuesday's episode of the Today show
and will stop by Macy's in New York on the same day to debut her new
fragrance, M by Mariah Carey.
Cirque du Soleil has done it again, they have created
a family show named Wintuk Cirque du Soleil at the WaMu Theater at Madison
Square Garden. This goes on from Nov. 1st to Jan. 6th 2008. It
should be filled with plenty of family fun. Make sure you see it.
WHILE the Bruce Springsteen tour featuring his recent
CD "Magic" has been anything but, the Boss and his E Street sidekicks
found their mojo last night at Madison Square Garden. This after
having major problems the weekend before with the sound and other
problems. But after 5years being apart they did well and will blow the
house down now.
The Funk Brothers are among
the inaugural class of acts being inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame
and Museum on Nov. 26 in Nashville. The Brothers are being recognized for
their session work on many hits for Motown Records. "These guys have been
overlooked for so long," said Musicians Hall of Fame CEO and founder Joe
Chambers of all of the artists being inducted.
After years of discontent, the Clipse have severed
their ties with Jive Records and the Neptunes' Star Trak label, and have
inked a joint pact with Columbia. Rappers Malice and Pusha T say there is
no animosity between them and the Neps. "Everything is business," says
Malice. "If we had our way, we would always be on Star Trak. But it's
what's working for you and what's not."
Jay-Z performed songs from his forthcoming
disc,
American Gangster, and discussed the inspiration behind the tunes at a
taping of VH1's Storytellers in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Wednesday. The show,
which VH1 will broadcast Nov. 8, featured a 12-piece band Jay dubbed the
Roc Boys. "I didn't have to do much," Jay says. "I just let them hear the
songs, and they learned the songs in one day."
Michael Jackson has defaulted on a $23 Million dollar
loan, plus $212, 963.83 in interest
according to FOX News, and he will
have to pay up in 90 days or lose his Neverland Ranch forever. The papers were filed in Santa
Barbara County on Oct. 22, but apparently Jackson’s loan with Fortress
Music Trust, doing business as DBCG LLC, a Delaware corporation, expired
on Oct. 12. I told you in this space last week Fortress was trying to sell
Jackson’s loans and that a desperate refinancing negotiation was taking
place. From the looks of this filing, Fortress decided not to wait any
longer. The $20 million loan was secured against the deed of trust for
Neverland and is separate from the $300 million loan secured by Jackson’s
stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing
As tensions rise over a possible FCC decision on its
media ownership rules, Clear Channel is back in the breach, calling again
for the agency to drop its ceiling on radio station ownership in big local
markets. Maybe the reason radio stinks is that Clear Channel and Radio One
and others put the boot heel to their smaller competitors with the
government's help. And now the Senate is holding a hearing. Since we are
on the subject of radio.. The Senate Commerce Committee held a "Future of
Radio" hearing, with ownership rules and performance rights royalties as
the topic of the day.
Philly's Freeway and Beanie Sigel are finally
dropping their long-awaited CDs. Freeway's new disc, Free at Last, which
is executive-produced by Jay-Z and 50 Cent, is due Nov. 20. "The album is
soulful," spits Free. Meanwhile, Beanie's The Solution hits stores on Dec.
11. The rapper recently shot a video for the set's first single, "All of
the Above" (featuring R. Kelly).
Now hear this, Paris Hilton while rehabbing her post
jail image, showing her changes wanted to go on a trip to Rwanda! Of all
places, but it was postponed indefinitely. It seems that the so
called Philanthotante will be going to the African Nation because the
group that she was going to work with (Playing for Good Foundation) is
restructuring at this time according to a statement to People magazine.
Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, Keb' Mo' and the Roots are
headlining Artists for a New South Africa's benefit concert Shaking the
Blues on Nov. 15 in Los Angeles. Proceeds from the event will be donated
to the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States and South
Africa. Actors Samuel L. Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Forest Whitaker, Morgan
Freeman and George Lopez are among those chairing the event.
Lyfe Jennings associate Yolanda "La La" Brown was found dead Friday in a
Milwaukee recording studio along with her friend, producer JeTannue
Clayborn. According to police, both victims had gunshot wounds and may
have been deceased for at least a day before their bodies were discovered.
Yolanda, 21, was a promising R&B singer who was featured in Lyfe's 2006
hit single, "S.E.X."
Fat Joe and DJ Khaled's rap supergroup Terror Squad have inked a two-album
deal with Koch Records. Under the agreement, the label will release the
group's third and fourth albums. "We've had major success with Koch and
the Terror Squad imprint in the past, especially with DJ Khaled's two
albums," Joe says. "It's a perfect place to unveil our new members."
At an Atlanta hearing Friday, T.I. pleaded not guilty to federal charges
of illegally possessing machine guns and silencers. The rapper was ordered
to remain in jail until at least Oct. 26, when a judge will determine
whether to release him on $2 million bond. "He's not upset at all," said
T.I. attorney Steve Sadow. "He understands the process and respects what
the court is doing."
Ne-Yo celebrated his 25th birthday at a lavish star-studded party in New
York. Among the partygoers in the house were Janet Jackson and LL Cool J.
Other celebrities that came through were Ne-Yo's boss Island/Def Jam
president Jay-Z and his labelmates Rihanna and Chrisette Michelle, who
sang "Happy Birthday" to the crooner. Ne-Yo was later presented with a red
velvet birthday cake.
Gamers everywhere, the Playstation is coming
down
17%. The Playstation 3 is now $499 for the 80 gig HD edition.
Effective immediately. Many were waiting for this to come down and it has
plus the awaited 40 gig HD edition is now coming to stores.
Britney Spears has been turned down for Hugh Heff's Playboy cover.
He does not want a hot mess for his cover girl but does say he would love
to have her in his mag when she cleans up. You know that you are a
hot mess when Hugh turns you down. To add insult to injury, Britney just
ran over a photogs foot from TMZ. While trying to capture a picture
of Brit, because she has just had a lip job. To capture a
Ang-Jolie-esque type of lips, he was was wearing sandals and she put her
hand to block pictures of her lips and ran over his foot. The photog
did not break anything but she never asked if the photog was alright, did
not get out, and even stopped on his foot. To add even more, 'Gimme more'
is dead on radio circuit, and 'Blackout' may never make it according to
the charts. The album is at #75 on amazons selling site, but 6 on
Billboard
Contrary to earlier reports, Nas insists that he is sticking with the
N-word as the title of his upcoming disc (due Dec. 11), and that there's
no friction with his label, Def Jam. The rapper contends that he's making
a political statement with the album title by removing the "sting" from
the controversial epithet. "Right now, we're on a whole new movement," he
says. "We're taking power from that word."
Jamie Foxx is set to perform a duet
with country superstars Rascal Flatts at the 41st annual Country Music
Awards, which will air Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The crooner will
perform "She Goes All the Way" from the Flatts' new disc, Still Feels
Good. "Jamie is an incredible talent and we were thrilled he took us up on
our invitation to join us on the song," said Rascal member Gary LeVox.
Busta
Rhymes has teamed up with hip-rockers
Linkin Park for a
track titled "It Looks Like We Made It" on the rapper's next album, Back
on My BS. "It reminds the people who are successful to go and help those
that haven't been so successful, and represent the unity between people,"
Busta says of the song, which was produced by Cool & Dre. Back on My BS
drops Dec. 4. Linkin Park is a group that is trailblazing the New
Rock styled Hip Hop, that is blazing charts now.
Snoop Dog
has been given his sentence for his part in
having a dangerous weapon, a
baton. He will be picking up trash in a Orange County Park CA. as
part of his Community Service. Hopefully this will not be the case
as photogs will be trying to get the best shot and impeding his work.
Most stars are given service indoors away from the cameras, if true this
will be the first of many horror shows to come with cameras in the faces
of workers that are just doing court ordered work. Snoop Dogg was
sentenced Thursday to 160 days of community service, which includes
picking up trash and scrubbing toilets, in connection with his September
2006 arrest for wrongfully carrying a dangerous weapon through an airport
in Orange County, Calif. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne was in a Georgia courtroom
Thursday to explain why he missed a previous court date, which led to a
recent arrest. Wayne is expected to return to court Oct. 31.
Ginuwine has withdrawn all legal
actions against his business partner Michael Bourne of King Music Group.
According to the R&B crooner, a reported dispute between the singer and
Michael was based on miscommunication. "Michael and I are friends," says
Ginuwine. "We have a great relationship, and I value his business skills."
Ginuwine is expected to begin recording his next album in a few weeks.
Mary J. Blige has moved back the
release date of upcoming album Growing Pains two weeks to Dec. 11. She
explains that the collection is a look at her present state, with which
she's mostly happy. "It's about finally not whining about the pain, Mary
J. Blige, and accepting the pain that comes with growing," she says.
Meanwhile, the hot one written by Ne-Yo is a "Work in Progress"
could follow "Just Fine" as a single.
Well, Jim
Jones has inked a deal with Columbia/Sony Music Group
after several album releases on Koch Records. "It's a 50/50 joint venture
with Columbia for my production company, as well," reveals Jim. The Dipset
rhyme-spitter is set to drop his Columbia debut in 2008. The disc's first
single, "They Don't Love Me No More," is expected to hit radio within a
few weeks. From a Billboard story.
John Legend is in Africa
shooting a video for his
next single, "Show Me," as part of his Show Me Campaign aimed at
eliminating poverty across the continent. The goal is to raise $1.5
million to provide important resources and education in needy villages.
Elsewhere, John is featured in Gap's print campaign for RED, an initiative
that helps those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. This was a great
initiative for him to partake in. We wish that more did this...
John Legend is also now prepping a release from British singer-rapper
Estelle, the flagship artist on his new record label, Home-School. The
songbird's debut effort, Shine2 (due in February), features beats from
Will.I.Am, Wyclef Jean, Mark Ronson and Swizz Beatz, as well as John,
himself. "Estelle has the right music and producers," he says. "She's
undeniably a star."
Beyoncé
nabbed three nominations for the American Music Awards, including one for
Favorite Album: Soul/Rhythm & Blues (B'Day). Justin Timberlake also
garnered three nods, including one for Favorite Album: Pop or Rock (FutureSex/LoveSounds).
Elsewhere, Akon, Ne-Yo and T.I. nabbed two nominations each. ABC will
broadcast the AMAs at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 18. Fans can determine the winners
by registering here to vote:
Foxy
Brown recently launched a website,
www.freefoxybrown.com, which will allow her fans to send messages to
her while she's serving a one-year bid in prison. The site also features
tracks from Foxy's upcoming disc, Brooklyn's Don Diva (due Nov. 20). "I am
in great spirits and very focused, and needed a forum to communicate to
the people," she says.
I guess Misery loves company, and you
cannot get any worse by applying for a job as a bartender, but Britney
supposedly did. TMZ stated that She was talking to a bartender at
The Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, CA, and said that she wanted to do what
she was doing. She asked for and obtained a application from the Cameo
Bar. The app is with their HR dept, a joke this must be...
R. Kelly is set to go on a two-month
tour in support of his latest disc, Double Up. The 40-city excursion kicks
off in Columbus, Ga., on Nov. 14, and wraps up in Hampton, Va., on Jan.
12. Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday reportedly are both onboard as support
acts.
R&B crooner
Omarion and his
partner-in-rhyme Bow Wow have been called on to serve as ambassadors and
grand marshals for Howard University's It's a Hollywood Howard Homecoming
Parade. The procession will take place in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. Soul diva Chaka Khan will act as Mistress of
Ceremonies during the parade. Omarion is ok in his new movie by JLO.
Common has established The Common
Ground Foundation, an organization aimed at empowering the youth through
education and community programs. "I always believed that if we started
with the youth then we would be planting the seeds for our future to
blossom," says the rapper. Meanwhile, actress Kerry Washington recently
directed the video for Common's next single, "I Want You," which also
stars Alicia Keys and Kanye West.
Sean Combs was like
any other father this past weekend, he was with his baby mama (Kim Porter)
and the twins. They were shopping in LA over the weekend. They
even brought matching outfits, for the children. Diddy has also been
hit with a $4 million lawsuit from a man who alleges the rap mogul's
bodyguards beat him up. Hip-hop promoter James Waldon claims that he was
punched and kicked, causing bruises, contusions and other injuries, at a
New York club on June 1. The alleged fracas began after James hugged Diddy
and launched into a conversation to promote a hip-hop product.
A Minnesota
songwriter had her copyright-infringement case against Beyoncé reviewed by
a federal appeals court in Lubbock, Texas, on Wednesday. Jennifer Armour
claims that lyrics from her song "Got a Little Bit of Love for You" were
used for Beyoncé's hit single "Baby Boy." She contends that her lawsuit --
which was dismissed by a Houston judge last year -- should be heard by a
jury.
Diddy is being sued for $19 million
by a former consultant
over music recorded by late rhyme-spitter Notorious B.I.G. in 1994. In his
lawsuit, James Sabatino claims that he paid for a recording session in
which Biggie was filmed laying down vocals in a Miami studio, and never
received proper payment from Diddy for the material. Meanwhile, Diddy has
admitted that he fathered a 15-year-old girl, Chance, with an Atlanta
woman named Sarah Chapman.
A year after his arrest, prosecutors
are dropping a
drug-and-gun case against Jadakiss, the rapper who once wrote
controversial lyrics about the attack on the World Trade Center. The
Westchester County district attorney's office asked a judge last week to
dismiss the charges against Jadakiss, whose real name is Jason Phillips,
and a co-defendant, Kristian Smith. Jadakiss, Smith and Darnell Frazier
were arrested last October in Yonkers, the rapper's hometown, and indicted
in February. Police claimed they smelled marijuana coming from the men's
car and then found a gun inside. A jury last month acquitted Frazier after
DNA tests did not link any of the three to the gun.
Hip-hop heavyweights Eminem, Snoop
Dogg, Common and E-40, as well as poet Maya Angelou and others, offer
their memories of 2Pac in a forthcoming book titled
Tupac Remembered: Bearing Witness to a Life and
Legacy. 'Pac's aunt
Gloria Cox, family acquaintance Molly Monjauze and writer Staci Robinson
compiled interviews with various artists detailing their experiences with
the late rapper. The book will hit shelves in February. (XXLmag.com)
Keith Urban just had a bad crash, ok
fall. He is reportedly doing well at this time though. He took
a spill on his motorcycle while looking back at following photographers.
The journalists helped him up, did not take any pictures of the star when
he fell. They respected him enough to help him up and see him to the
hospital. Hey, who says tabloid journalists cannot be human also.
My hats are off to them all in this instance of humanity.
J. Holiday just put out a
new album and it is burning up the charts. Put it to Bed and several
other cuts will be hot. This Sagittarius is hot. His boy, the
hit-making tunesmith The-Dream has penned hit songs for Rihanna
("Umbrella") and B2K ("Everything"), but one artist he won't write for is
Chris Brown. Apparently, his song "Bed" (sung by J. Holiday) was
originally for Chris but the young singer disrespected his songwriting
skills. "He said the wrong thing to me," Dream cryptically offers. "At the
end of the day, I'm big on principle and loyalty. Put that to bed."
Soulja Boy credits his
MySpace page for his
nationwide buzz. But the Atlanta spitfire promises to maintain longevity
in the rap game. "Soulja Boy isn't a big buzz or fad," he states. "I am
Soulja Boy with a talent and a 'life' style." Meanwhile, Soulja, Keyshia
Cole, T.I., Wyclef Jean and Lil Mama will perform at the
BET
Hip Hop Awards on Oct. 13 in Atlanta.
Come down and help Ludacris and join
100 or more volunteers on Saturday the 6th, to
help clean up New York's DeWitt Clinton Park as part of Boost Mobile
RockCorps' nationwide volunteering campaign to revitalize dilapidated
neighborhoods. Later that night, Luda, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes, Keyshia
Cole and Yung Joc will perform a special concert for the volunteers who
assisted in the
cleanup. Actor Nick Cannon is hosting the event. So thanks for all
the volunteers ahead of time ok...lol
The Philly rapper Beanie Sigel has
revealed that he auditioned in front of producers for the role of late
iconic rap figure Notorious B.I.G. in the upcoming biopic, Notorious. "The
fact that I'm a huge Big fan from the gate is why I did it," says Beanie.
"I don't think nobody else could play that role better than I could."
Solange Knowles got divorced, forgot
to mention that before. She has a great interview in an essence
magazine interview,
so for that and more
Rumors have been rampant over the Internet that MC Hammer recently died.
Hammer's time? Hammer, aka Stanley Burrell, is very much alive. His rep
tells us that someone else with the name of Stanley Burrell died recently,
and people have been confusing the two. But what is true is that he
started a new website named
www.dancejam.com though. He rates your dance moves after your
upload your videos to his site.
The new i-Phone is having its share of problems. If
you
have this marvelous hunk of junk and had downloaded programs you will see
as the phone updated that you lost some of the free programs and such.
AT&T, and Apple implemented some bugs to erase those programs from your
phone never to return. So it was not you, it was them saying you must pay
them for everything with the phone. It is amazing that they would
have done such a thing, after charging so much for the phone but who has
the money and spent it, lose it quickly. I refused to get the phone myself
because I never trust Apple, they do not share well with others and have
been notorious for making there wares not compatible with others.
Thereby making you buy software and hardware through them. Hey it is
the American way, to pay through the nose with them. In a good note
however, consumers fought them in court and they are allowing some
companies to work on the i-phone and make programs for them coming up in
Jan. So builders can make programs for their phones, programming the
units from that time on.
The Sands Hotel was demolished on Thursday the 18th and it was the end to
an era in Atlantic City. It was a natural progression since a lot of the
old hotels were phased out because they just could not keep up with the
glam of the newer hotels. The Sands has been closed for about a year
and Gov. Corizine was the one to set off the dynamite.
The last time boxer Laila Ali stepped
in front of a camera for the "Got Milk" campaign was in 2001, alongside
her legendary father, Muhammad Ali. "In June, the fighter-turned-ballroom
dancer posed again for the advertisement, but this time by herself for
world renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. "Take it from me, milk really
packs a punch," she says in the ad, which will begin running on Oct. 22,
according to People magazine.