Buzz Music News

Aerosmith Wanting To Finish Album

2008-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

After spending most of 2008 dealing with health issues, the members of Aerosmith hope to return to the studio next year to finish their first album of original material since 2001.

"We're sitting on a bunch of music we've already recorded for a new album," guitarist Brad Whitford told Billboard.com. "We haven't gone back into the studio to put the final touches on it and get it done, and still don't know when we're gonna do that. Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later."

The album will be Aerosmith's first of all-original material since 2001's "Just Push Play." The 2004 release, "Honkin' on Bobo," was comprised primarily of blues covers.

Most of Aerosmith's headlines this year were away from the recording studio and concert stage. Guitarist Joe Perry had knee reconstruction surgery in March.

Frontman Steven Tyler, meanwhile, spent time in a California rehabilitation clinic during the spring to recover from his own leg injuries in a drug-controlled environment; he did re-emerge on July 18 to sing "Walk This Way" with Billy Joel and his band at New York's Shea Stadium.

In 2006, bass player Tom Hamilton underwent radiation treatment for throat cancer.

"You'd think it was a football team or something," Whitford said with a laugh. But he added that health issues should not raise concerns about Aerosmith's mortality.

"You have more than average concerns about it, I guess," Whitford said, "but you can't do anything about it. Like a lot of other things in life, you don't get to call the shots on these things, do you? We're just ... getting older."

Lil' Wayne Update

2008-10-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Lil Wayne's assistant says he occasionally saw a handgun and people smoking marijuana on the award-winning rapper's tour bus.

But Terry Bourgeois also testified Monday he never saw Lil Wayne with a gun and didn't know whether one was on the bus in July 2007 when the 26-year-old rapper was arrested in Manhattan on gun charges.

A police officer testified last month she boarded Lil Wayne's bus after a concert because she smelled marijuana. She said that while on the bus she saw him try to hide a gun.

Defense lawyer Stacey Richman wants the charges dismissed. She says police falsely claimed they smelled marijuana so they could illegally board the bus.

The rapper (real name: Dwayne Carter) has pleaded not guilty and is free on $70,000 bail.

Barker Released From Hospital

2008-10-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier this morning, Travis Barker told fans he was "healing up quickly" and would be out of the hospital "b4 you know it."

He wasn't kidding.

On Friday, exactly four weeks after surviving a private plane crash, the former Blink-182 drummer was released from Sherman Oaks' Grossman Burn Center, the Los Angeles-area facility where he has been receiving treatment since Sept. 29.

The 32-year-old rocker will continue his recovery at home and has requested privacy while he continues to recover from the second- and third-degree burns he sustained in the Sept. 19 Learjet crash.

Prior to his California return, Barker was treated at Georgia's Joseph M. Still Burn Center for 10 days. He relocated to his SoCal home base on a specially equipped bus staffed by medical personnel.

Like his friend and fellow surviving passenger Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, Barker is expected to make a full recovery.

For his part, AM is slowly but surely resuming his precrash life, having triumphantly returned to the spinning scene this week by joining Jay-Z onstage for a Hollywood concert.

An investigation into the crash, which killed the other four onboard, is ongoing.

Eminem Will Return With 'Relapse'

2008-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Emimem's return to hip-hop is now official. After months of rumors, the Oscar-winning MC announced the title of his sixth album, "Relapse," Thursday night (October 15) during an on-air radio launch party for his book "The Way I Am." Eminem also introduced a new track, "I'm Having a Relapse."

"There's a lot of album titles floating around that are fake albums titles," Eminem told Shade 45 hosts DJ Kayslay and Angela Yee on Sirius Satellite Radio.

No release date has been confirmed, but the album is rumored to hit shelves before year's end.
Eminem's last release, 2005's "Curtain Call: The Hits," has sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His last studio album was the previous year's "Encore," with sales of 5.1 million copies.

Representatives for Eminem's label, Interscope, were unavailable for comment.

U.S. Pop Charts

2008-10-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Despite a 69 percent drop-off in sales, rapper T.I. claimed a second week at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday with "Paper Trail."

The set sold 177,000 copies in the States during the week ended October 12, according to Nielsen SoundScan, after debuting the previous week with 568,000.

Metallica's "Death Magnetic" climbed back from No. 5 to No. 2 despite a 24 percent sales slide to 66,000 copies. Marking a career high for charting and sales, Rise Against's "Appeal to Reason" debuted at No. 3 with 65,000. The punk rock band's last set, 2006's "The Sufferer and the Witness," bowed at No. 10 with 48,000.

Oscar-winning "American Idol" reject Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut fell from the second rung to No. 4, on a 71 percent sales decrease to 63,000. Veteran British rock act Oasis scored its first top 10 set since 1997, as "Dig Out Your Soul" debuted at No. 5, moving 53,000 copies. The band's last studio set, 2005's "Don't Believe the Truth," began at No. 12 but with a larger opening sales week of 65,000. Oasis last reached the top tier when 1997's "Be Here Now" debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 152,000.

Bob Dylan notched his 17th top 10 album -- and 50th charting set overall -- on the Billboard 200 as the triple-disc collection "The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 -- Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased, 1989-2006" debuted at No. 6 with 50,000. It's the best chart position for any album in Dylan's "Bootleg" series.

Staying put at No. 7 for a third week straight, Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" sold 48,000 (a 15 percent drop) in its 53rd week on the chart. Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman" continued its decline, falling from No. 6 to No. 8 with 47,000 (a 33 percent slide).

Selling 44,000 copies, Tim McGraw's "Greatest Hits 3" debuted at No. 9. The success came despite McGraw's having denounced the project in a press release Tuesday. James Taylor's "Covers" closed out the top 10 on the album chart, slipping from No. 4 to No. 10 on a 54 percent sales hit to 44,000.

With 40,000, Sarah McLachlan's hits collection "Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan," bowed at No. 11.

Other debuts during the week included Senses Fail's "Life Is Not a Waiting Room" (No. 18, 24,000), Marco Antonia Solis' "No Molestar" (No. 19, 23,000), the Pretenders' "Break Up the Concrete" (No. 32, 16,000) and Tesla's "Forever More" (No. 33, 16,000).

At 6.41 million units, sales were down 14.5 percent from the previous week's sum and down 23.1 percent from the year-earlier period.

Madonna And Guy Ritchie Announce Their Divorce

2008-10-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie will end their marriage after nearly eight years, the couple said in a joint statement Wednesday.

The couple asked the media to "maintain respect for their family at this difficult time," said the statement, e-mailed to The Associated Press by Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's publicist.

A financial settlement has not been agreed by the wealthy couple, who must also decide child custody issues.

In London, Ritchie's mother, Lady Amber Leighton, told reporters that the family wouldn't be making any statement.

Madonna and Ritchie, director of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," married in December 2000 at a Scottish castle. The couple have two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.

The couple are reportedly worth some $525 million, the bulk of that belonging to Madonna. Ritchie has an estimated $35 million fortune. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and a 1,200-acre retreat in Wiltshire, England.

Madonna is to perform concerts Wednesday and Thursday in Boston as her "Sticky and Sweet" tour continues. Ritchie's latest movie, "RocknRolla," recently opened to mixed reviews.

Lawyers said the couple would likely try to come to an agreement before heading to court.

"The judgment of the court would be to try and assess what they came in with and divide what they built up fairly equally," said David Allison, a lawyer with Family Law in Partnership, a London firm.

Ritchie's career has faltered during the marriage, while Madonna's songs, videos and concerts remain popular worldwide.

The needs of the couple's children will also be factored by the court, as they were in Britain's latest high-profile celebrity divorce, the battle between former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills. In that case, McCartney and Mills fought over money and custody of their young daughter.

Mills received 24.3 million pounds in the divorce after four years of marriage.

"The needs of children figure quite highly, and that was one of the reasons Heather Mills got a gigantic amount of money, despite the fact that the bulk of Sir Paul's money was made before the marriage," Allison said.

The Sun newspaper splashed the split across its front page Wednesday under the headline: "We're Divorcing." It was the second time this year that the superstar couple's marriage has come under the media microscope. Over the summer, Madonna was linked — unfairly, she said — to the breakup of New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez and his ex-wife Cynthia.

Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.

Janet Jackson Cancels More Dates

2008-10-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

The doctor has again ordered Janet Jackson to postpone a return to her "Rock Witchu" tour.

Jackson was scheduled to resume her tour Monday night at the Turning Stone Resort in New York after canceling a show over the weekend in Connecticut. A message posted on the resort and casino's Web site stated the show had been canceled at the advice of Jackson's doctor.

She has since postponed several shows, including Thursday night's show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Promoters say the dates will be rescheduled.

No one is saying what is ailing Jackson, who was rushed to a hospital in Montreal before a concert in late September.

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

Travis Barker Thanks Fans

2008-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Three weeks after narrowly surviving a Learjet plane crash, Travis Barker has taken to his MySpace blog to thank fans for their support and to update them on his condition.

"Like the doctors said from the beginning, its [sic] been a slow recovery process. I am coming up on the 7th of my surgeries Monday," the former Blink-182 drummer wrote Saturday.

"Today I finally was able to move all my fingers on my right hand. Every step seems huge at this point, and I'm doing EVERYTHING I can possibly do to get back to my kids. Yes, I did start eating meat again, but if it helps me to be home holding my little humans sooner, than its all worth it."

Blogging from a Los Angeles-area burn center where he's being treated for second- and third-degree burns, the 32-year-old Barker posted photos of himself in his hospital bed, his right arm wrapped in bandages.

He also paid tribute to the two friends who lost their lives on that doomed Sept. 19 flight—his 29-year-old assistant Chris Baker and his 29-year-old security guard, Charles Still. All told, four people died. Barker and DJ AM were the lone survivors.

"I would give up anything to have them here with us today, healthy and happy. To call them my employees does them such a disservice, as they were so much more than that," added Barker. "Chris was my best friend before anything else, and I can never put into words how much he will be missed. Che was an amazing person as well, and I was honored to have him in my life."

Regarding the Georgia burn unit where he was initially treated, as well as his current L.A. medical center, the musician had nothing but praise for the doctors and nurses.

Barker also revealed he recently visited with AM (aka Adam Goldstein), who was treated at the same L.A. facility, and said it "was an inspiration."

"I saw just how awesome the doctors' work here is, and got to see how well he is doing. I am so happy to see him doing well, and we are both so lucky and grateful that we are alive today," he noted.

The Meet the Barkers star concluded on a happy note, saying he's "counting the days" until he's reunited with his kids.

"I cant wait to get home to play drums with my son, and go for bike rides with my daughter," he wrote. "I cant wait to see the pictures from Landon's 'Jack and Sally Nightmare Before Christmas' birthday party that we had for him today. I am bummed that I couldn't be there, but thank God Ill be around to see many, many more."

Britney Will Release Documentary

2008-10-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Pop star Britney Spears plans to set the record straight about her personal and professional woes in a documentary to be aired shortly before the release of her new album "Circus" in December.

In the 90-minute film, "Britney: For the Record," Spears talks about her high-profile meltdown, which included stints in rehab and psychiatric hospital units, an ugly divorce, losing custody of her two sons and shaving her head.

"I sit there and I'll look back and I'm like: I'm a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?" the 26-year-old singer says in the documentary shot by filmmaker Phil Griffin over three-months.

In the past six months or so, Spears' father Jamie has taken over management of her affairs and helped get his daughter's life back on track. She has made guest appearances on U.S. TV series "How I Met Your Mother" and is due to release her sixth studio album on her December 2 birthday.

The album -- from Jive Records which is ultimately owned by Sony Music Entertainment Inc, a unit of Sony Corp -- marks the follow-up to 2007's "Blackout," which was also billed as a comeback, but failed to return Spears to the commercial heyday she enjoyed at the turn of the century.

The documentary, described as showing "the reality of trying to live a normal life after all that has been exposed through the media," is set to air on MTV on November 30.

"So much has gone on over the last couple of years and there's a lot that people don't know about me that I want them to know," Spears said in a statement.

"I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn't being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in. This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I've been through and where I'm headed," she said.

Foo Fighters Tell McCain To Stop

2008-10-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yet another band is complaining about John McCain's use of their song to promote his campaign. This time, it's the Foo Fighters.

The rockers sent out a missive telling the Republican presidential candidate to stop using "My Hero." They said they learned it was being use through news reports.

"The saddest thing about this is that `My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential," the band said in a statement. "To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

The band noted it's not the first time McCain has been told to stop using a song. John Mellencamp, Heart and Jackson Browne have also complained — Browne even filed a lawsuit.

Soul legend Sam Moore also has asked the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to stop using "Soul Man."

"The McCain-Palin campaign respects copyright. Accordingly, this campaign has obtained and paid for licenses from performing rights organizations, giving us permission to play millions of different songs, including `My Hero,'" said McCain-Palin spokesman Brian Rogers.

R Kelly Doesn't Like Anyone 'Illegal'

2008-09-18T12:59:00.001-07:00

In his first interview since being acquitted of child pornography charges, R. Kelly dismissed allegations that he ever preyed on young girls, telling BET News: "I don't like anyone illegal."

Kelly also said he was relieved when the trial was over, and that his upcoming album would feature less of the sexually charged material that has come to define his multiplatinum career.

"I'm really trying to make this album ... a little bit different," he said in an interview that aired on the network on Tuesday. "Take a little bit of the edge off, you know? And you know, clean up a few lyrics if I can, you know?"

Kelly, 40, was acquitted in Chicago in June of multiple child pornography charges. The verdict ended a six-year saga that began when a videotape surfaced of a man looking like Kelly having sex with a girl believed to be as young as 13. Kelly denied he was the man in the videotape, and the girl in the video never testified.

Kelly spoke to BET's Toure for about a half-hour last week. Though the interview did not specifically address the child pornography charges, Kelly was asked about the perception that he is attracted to young girls (Kelly was married to the late singer Aaliyah when she was 15, but the marriage was quickly annulled).

When asked if he liked teenage girls, Kelly replied: "When you say teenage, how — how old are we talkin' ... 19?"

"I have some 19-year-old friends," he added. "But I don't like anybody illegal, if that's what we're talking about, underage."

Kelly said he was worried that he might be convicted.

"But at the same time I was very prayerful," he said. "Verdict day ... I couldn't describe it and I wouldn't wish it on — if I had a worst enemy, which I don't."

When the innocent verdicts were announced, Kelly said he felt relieved that he would be able to see his three children — two daughters and a son — once again.

"I couldn't wait to get home to hug them and hold them," he said.

Despite the charges Kelly faced, he still managed to maintain one of the most successful careers of any artist, notching several platinum albums and hits during that period. His new album, "12 Play 4th Quarter," is scheduled for the fall.

Lynne Spears Takes All The Blame

2008-09-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

The mother of pop star Britney Spears on Wednesday heaped the blame for her daughters' erratic behavior throughout 2007 and early this year on herself in a television interview saying "it's always my fault."

Appearing on the morning TV talk show "Today" on NBC, Lynne Spears also said that she first thought it was joke when her younger daughter Jamie Lynn announced she was pregnant at age 16 -- in a note.

"It said she was pregnant and everything was going to be OK. She was going to raise it ... I thought it was a joke. I was waiting for the punch line," Lynne Spears told interviewer Meredith Vieira.

"I was in shock. I think I was just truly in shock, and then I started to cry. And she started consoling me at that point."

Jamie Lynn gave birth to a girl in June and is raising the baby with her boyfriend in their Mississippi home.

Spears, 53, said she accepted much of the blame for the crises of the past two years. Britney shaved her head, went in and out of rehab, lost custody of her children and was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward.

"As a mother, don't we always blame ourselves?" she said. "I took a lot of the blame. I took all the blame. The personality I have, it's always my fault."

Spears has written a memoir, "Through The Storm" which is being published this week, about the rise to fame of her daughters.

She said her family had no idea how difficult life was to become after Britney had her first hit, in 1998, with "Baby One More Time" at the age of 17.

"There's the honeymoon phase at first," Lynne Spears said. "Everything is fabulous. Look at the wonderful trips she gets to go on. Look at the wonderful people she's meeting.

"Then there's the ugly side of things that turns, and we weren't ready for that, either."

Britney Spears, 26,, has turned her life around in the past six months with her father now managing her affairs and a new album due out in December. Looking fit and glowing, she won three MTV video music awards last week.

"She's strong," Lynne Spears said. "She's resilient. She's had some big bumps in the road, but Britney's fine. Britney is headed to the top once again. I have no fears about Britney."

Barenaked Ladies Almost Down Two

2008-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

The lead singer of the Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies and three other people survived a plane crash in rural southeastern Ontario, authorities said Monday.

Ed Robertson's Cessna 206 floatplane crashed in a wooded area near Bancroft, Ontario, on Sunday afternoon as he was trying to take off from Baptiste Lake, Ontario Provincial police Sgt. Bruce Quigg said. Quigg said no one in the plane was injured.

Robertson's friend Gord Peel told The Belleville Intelligencer newspaper that the other passengers were Robertson's wife, Natalie, and their friends Julie and Jeff Jones.

Peel, who said he has known Robertson for about a decade, arrived on the scene shortly after the crash and found the four friends walking on a road, shaken but unharmed.

He said the plane stalled but Robertson managed to set it straight down into the trees with its nose resting on the ground. They had to get out through the windows but did not have a scratch, he said.

"Everyone is fine and that is the important thing," Adam Smith, the band's manager, said Sunday night in an e-mail. "That's all the comment we have at this time."

Spokeswoman Julie Leroux said Monday that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is assessing the accident scene to determine whether an investigation will be launched.

Robertson, 37, is host of "Ed's Up" on the Outdoor Life Network. The show documents his travels by plane. He received his pilot's license in 2005 and is described on the OLN Web site as a "recreational pilot." Episodes involve landing his Cessna on water near cities across North America.

This is the second time this summer that a member of the Barenaked Ladies has made headlines. Singer Steven Page was arrested in upstate New York last month and charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Da Brat Headed To Jail.

2008-08-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Da Brat has just been given one helluva spanking.

An Atlanta judge today sentenced the Unrestricted rapper to three years in prison for bashing a woman with a rum bottle at a Halloween party last year.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gail Flake also slapped the 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Shawntae Harris, with seven years' probation and 200 hours of community service for the Oct. 31 incident, which occurred at mentor Jermaine Dupri's Studio 72 nightclub in Tucker, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta.

The hip-hopster and the victim, a waitress at the nightspot, apparently had an existing beef which boiled over. Police were called in after Da Brat was accused of slashing the employee's face with the glass bottle, sending her to the hospital.

Da Brat pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault in the hopes of winning a light sentence or avoiding jail time altogether.

But the judge wasn't in a forgiving mood, noting that the victim suffered permanent facial scars.
The rapper and a half-dozen family members all broke down after hearing the sentence.

"I love y'all," she said to her relatives as a deputy hauled her away, per the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

"We love you too," came the family reply.

Aside from the rum punch, Da Brat's rap sheet includes a pistol-whipping incident that earned her a year's probation and lots of community service, as well as pay a $1,000 fine.

15 Big Stars On One Track...WHAT?

2008-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

What would it sound like if 15 of the hottest female singers joined voices? The answer will be revealed Sept. 2.

That's when "Just Stand Up" hits airwaves and iTunes. The song features Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. All sales of the star-studded single will benefit cancer research.

The charity tune was conceived by Antonio "L.A." Reid, who produced it with longtime creative colleague Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.

All 15 singers will share the stage to perform the song live on Sept. 5 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special, set to air simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS. Other stars expected to turn out for the hourlong fund- and awareness-raising program include Jennifer Aniston, Lance Armstrong, Katie Couric, Sally Field, Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Reese Witherspoon.

Founded in 2007, Stand Up to Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that calls on entertainment-industry people and platforms to help fight cancer.

Collins vs. McCartney - The Bigger Divorce

2008-08-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Phil Collins' ex-wife may no longer be in his heart, but she'll definitely always have a place in his bank account.

The easy-rocking star has waved goodbye to marriage No. 3 and hello to a reported $46.68 million divorce settlement which, if accurate, shapes up to be the biggest ever celeb payout in British legal history, trumping even the astronomical amount Heather Mills received—said to be $45.37 million—from Paul McCartney earlier this year.

Collins, 57, and Orianne Cevey, 35, were married for seven years before separating in 2006. They have two children together, sons Nicolas, 8, and Matthew, 4.

It isn't the first time relationship woes have caused a dip in the Genesis frontman's fortunes, with Britain's Daily Telegraph even claiming that divorce settlements have eaten into as much as one-third of his estimated $280 million net worth, having shelled out nearly $84 million to his ex-wives.

After taking advantage of technological advances and infamously dumping wife No. 2 Jill Tavelman by fax back in 1994, he was forced to pay $34 million.

DMX Arrested Again

2008-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Chart-topping rap star DMX was arrested at a store in Florida on Thursday for failing to appear in an Arizona court on drug charges, authorities said.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was taken into custody outside a Wal-Mart store in north Miami Beach on a warrant issued by a Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner.

The 37-year-old, who has a home outside Phoenix, failed to appear on Tuesday for a pretrial conference on charges relating to marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession, one of several legal battles he faces in Arizona.

He was arrested in May on drug and animal cruelty charges after sheriff's deputies raided his Cave Creek, Arizona, home. Authorities alleged that there were dog carcasses and malnourished pit bulls at the residence.

DMX also faces two felony charges for taking the identity of another person and giving false information during a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, in an alleged attempt to avoid paying the bill.

"This guy is treating our legal system like a revolving door and it's time we closed the cell door on him," Arpaio told Reuters.

Simmons had his first five albums open at No. 1 on the U.S. pop album charts, but his most recent release, 2006's "Year of the Dog ... Again," ended that run by debuting at No. 2.

Simmons has also acted in several action movies, including "Cradle 2 The Grave" and "Exit Wounds."

Moon Man Brings Big Performers

2008-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Kid Rock is returning to the Video Music Awards for another hit performance — and this time it doesn't involve a fistfight with Tommy Lee.

The boisterous rocker is slated to perform "All Summer Long" off his platinum-selling CD "Rock 'N Roll Jesus." Though it was released nearly a year ago, it has surged on the charts and is currently one of the top five selling CDs.

Last year, Kid Rock wasn't a performer, but he was involved in one of the ceremony's most talked about moments when scuffled with Tommy Lee while they were sitting in the audience. Both were at one time married to Pamela Anderson, who was also in attendance.

The fight was not shown on camera, but provided fodder for jokes from the likes of Diddy and Jamie Foxx.

Rock is the third act confirmed for the VMA's, to be held Sept. 7 in Los Angeles. Other performers are Lil Wayne and Jonas Brothers, though there is a possibility that Britney Spears — who's bleary kickoff performance at last year's VMA's became one of 2007's most talked about moments — may join them.

MTV told The Associated Press earlier this week they are in negotiations to have the star there in some capacity, and she's already taped two promotional ads for the show with host Russell Brand.

Clay Aiken A father

2008-08-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Former "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is a father.

The 29-year-old crooner from Raleigh announced the birth of Parker Foster Aiken on his Website's blog Friday.

"No hyphens. One first name," he wrote. "One middle name. One last name."

Aiken's mother, Faye, told Raleigh TV station WRAL the child was born in North Carolina.

Aiken was a favorite of fans during the second season of "American Idol," where he finished second to Ruben Studdard. His album "Measure of a Man" went double platinum in 2003, and he made his Broadway debut this spring in "Monty Python's Spamalot."

The baby's mother is Jaymes Foster, Aiken's friend and record producer whom he met while performing on "American Idol." Their son was born at 8:08 a.m. Friday, and weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19 inches long, according to the statement on the Web site.

"The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy," Aiken wrote. "Mama Jaymes is doing quite well also."

Britney Parties, Dad Supervises

2008-08-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Count on Britney Spears to steal the spotlight at a soiree, even when she's not even doing anything.

Brit, along with dad Jamie Spears, made a late appearance at Phil Maloof's Beverly Hills music-label bash for the Rev Theory band Wednesday night.

"The Spears family is very close friends with the the Maloof family and vice versa," a source tells E!. "They came out to support them."

The popster arrived around 11:30, as the party was dying down, and held court in a roped-off VIP room at the front of the house.

"It was like an exhibit at a zoo," says another partygoer, Katie Thiele. "There was a line of people waiting to look in and see the Britney exhibit."

Britney, who was drinking Coke and smoking, didn't seem fazed. But one unwelcome party guest got under her dad's skin.

A paparazzo snuck in to the private party—meant to celebrate the band's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live—posing as an event photographer. Brit's dad quickly recognized the snapper and told him to leave.

"He said, 'You're just like Adnan,' " a source tells E!.

Brit, wearing a black minidress, seemed to be enjoying herself, despite the party-crashing pap. "She looked great," Thiele says. "She was chatting with friends. She looked like she was having a good time."

Dr. Dre To Release Vodka/Album

2008-08-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre's cognac and vodka brands will hit liquor stores in the next 60 days, according to celebrity booze marketer Drinks America Holdings Ltd.

The products are the fruits of a joint venture between Wilton, Conn.-based Drinks America and Dr. Dre's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, a unit of Universal Music.

Aftermath Congac will come out first, followed by an 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodka, Drinks America said Monday in its fourth-quarter earnings statement.

It added that the marketing for the beverages will be tied in with the release of Dr. Dre's long awaited "Detox" album. In late, July Dr. Dre told USA Today that the album would be out in "November or December."

Drinks America, which also markets Donald Trump vodka and Willie Nelson whiskey, said its net loss for the year ended April 30 narrowed to $6.3 million, or $0.08 per share, from $9.4 million, or $0.14 per share. Its stock slipped a penny to 29 cents on NASDAQ's over-the-counter Bulletin Board Tuesday.

Jonas Brothers Will Soon Hit The TV

2008-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone loved the Jonas Brothers in Camp Rock, and little girls love them onstage. Now, the trio has officially confirmed they're headed to the Disney Channel for their very own show.

"[It's] actually gonna happen. September—in like seven weeks from whatever today is—we start production," the popular tween musicians told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM Morning Show.

According to Nick, Joe and Kevin, the series' format has changed somewhat, from spy genre to a program like HBO's Flight of the Conchords, which the group says is one of their favorite shows: "We can just pick up a guitar and break into song—in really funny situations."

And while the guys say they're excited about the upcoming project, we're pretty sure fans are just as thrilled. There's nothing like having the option to TiVo a Jonas TV appearance and rewatch it 24/7!

New Beatles Tape Sells For Over $23000

2008-08-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

A newly discovered tape of The Beatles laughing and chatting during an early recording session has sold for about $23,000, an auction house reported Tuesday.

Cameo Auctioneers said the reel-to-reel tape was recorded in 1964 and had recently been discovered by a man in northern England while he was clearing out his father's attic.

The half-hour tape sold to an Internet bidder Tuesday afternoon for $23,446 including tax and the buyer's premium, the auction house said, adding that it had yet to contact the winner.

The tape features John Lennon and Paul McCartney collapsing into fits of giggles as they try to finish the ballad "I'll Follow the Sun."

It also carries versions of other Beatles songs including "I Feel Fine," "I'm a Loser" and "Don't Put Me Down Like This."

Kid Rock Sentanced To A Year Probation

2008-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Kid Rock has been sentenced to a year's probation and fined $1,000 for his role in a fight at a suburban Atlanta Waffle House last fall.

The DeKalb County solicitor's office said the 37-year-old was also sentenced Monday to six hours of anger management counseling and 80 hours of community service.

The entertainer, whose real name is Robert J. Ritchie, pleaded no contest to one count of simple battery. Four counts of battery were dropped.

Ritchie's tour bus stopped at the Waffle House about 5 a.m. on Oct. 21 after a performance in downtown Atlanta. An exchange of words with a customer escalated into a fight that spilled from the restaurant into the parking lot.

Ritchie and five members of his entourage were arrested. They appeared with him in court, and two of them pleaded no contest and received similar sentences of probation and community service. The judge dropped charges against the other three.

"After viewing the videotape, it was decided that they weren't involved," said Artealia Gilliard, spokeswoman for Solicitor-General Robert D. James Jr.

Ritchie's attorney, Darryl Cohen, said Tuesday that Ritchie was "not terribly unhappy" with the outcome although he believed he was not at fault.

"I think my client is satisfied," Cohen said. "He would have liked to have tried it. He came within a hairbreadth of going to trial."

Steven Adler: Another Arrested With Drugs

2008-07-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler has been arrested in Hollywood for alleged drug possession.

Los Angeles police spokesman Richard French says the 43-year-old Adler was arrested around 4 a.m. Friday by officers called to a home where a man reportedly was creating a disturbance and refusing to leave.

Adler was booked for investigation of possessing narcotics, being under the influence and for an outstanding warrant.

He was jailed on $45,000 bail.

Adler has a long history of drug use. He performed on the early Guns N' Roses albums but was later fired.

Spears Working On New Album

2008-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears is working on a new album, her label said on Wednesday, as the U.S. pop star seeks to rebound from a period of troubling behavior and hospital stints for psychiatric evaluations.

Spears, 26, has spent much of the past 18 months in the headlines for an ugly divorce, losing custody of her two sons, rehab treatment, and erratic behavior like shaving her head and attacking a photographer's car with an umbrella.

But in the past six months Spears father Jamie has taken over management of her personal and business affairs and she has also been mentioned as a possible Emmy award nominee for two guest appearances on U.S. television series "How I Met Your Mother."

Now her manager, Larry Rudolph, and label, Jive Records, said in a statement that Spears, one of the world's most successful pop stars of the early 2000s, "is spending her summer in the recording studio, working on a brand new album."

"She's working with a team of top-notch producers and songwriters and we're very excited about what she's accomplished so far. No album release date has been confirmed yet," the statement said.

Spear's last album, "Blackout," debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last November, but quickly slid down the chart.

Spears and her former backup dancer Kevin Federline, 30, were divorced last summer after two years of marriage. The couple have two children together, Sean Preston, 2-1/2, and James Jayden, 22 months, and have started mediation sessions to work out custody and avoid a trial set for August.

Bon Jovi Rocks For Free

2008-07-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Bon Jovi rocked Central Park, New Jersey style.

The rock group gave a free concert Saturday night on the park's Great Lawn, delighting tens of thousands of fans who sang along with the lyrics on a glorious summer evening.

The band opened with "Livin' on a Prayer" and belted out songs including "Born to be my Baby," "Lost Highway," and "Runaway."
Jon Bon Jovi, for one, was relieved that a long tour was winding down.

"It's good not to call room service. I can tell you that, you know?" the singer said before the concert. "It feels real good not to dial 9 to get a cup of coffee. For me that was very nice this morning. But what a way to end up.

"We started 10 nights in New Jersey and ended up with the biggest show of the year in New York at Central Park on the Great Lawn. It's very rarified air, you know? We know there are only a half a dozen shows that have ever been on this grass."

New York City officials gave away 60,000 tickets for the concert. Some 50,000 people were expected to attend. The free tickets were reportedly being hawked by scalpers on eBay for as much as $1,500 a pair.

Bon Jovi said that drama did not put a damper on the show.

"No. I mean look, it's all behind us at this point," he told The Associated Press. "So we did what we could for our fans and for the people of New York and wanted to share a beautiful Saturday summer night with them."

Hundreds of fans lined up early — in some cases as many as six hours before the show's 8 p.m. start.

For some, it was a family affair. Josephine Ribaudo-McGrane, 34, of Queens, arrived at 1 p.m. wearing a well-worn Bon Jovi concert T-shirt she bought in 2006. She came with her mother, 12-year-old son, 8-year-old daughter, an adult sister and her best friend.

"They've gotten me through a lot of rough times," she said, adding that her iPod is stocked with 200 Bon Jovi songs. "I don't think there's a song that I don't like."

The show was billed as a prelude to the Major League Baseball All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. The game on Tuesday will mark the final season at the Bronx ballpark. A new stadium is being built.

The band joins other greats who have performed on the Great Lawn, including Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand and Pope John Paul II. Garth Brooks also performed at the park's North Meadow.

Bon Jovi performs at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday as part of its "Lost Highway" tour. Those shows require paid admission.

The quartet has been rocking for more than two decades and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Smashing Pumpkins Plan Anniversary

2008-07-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Smashing Pumpkins will play a host of shows in the coming months to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

According to the group's Website, the Billy Corgan-fronted band will visit "mostly smaller-sized venues" during an August run featuring "unique sets and songs."

So far the only date announced is August 9 at the Venue in Hammond, Ind. Come November, the Pumpkins will anniversary shows at bigger venues in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and additional cities to be announced.

Another run of dates focusing on the band's debut 1991 album, "Gish," are on tap for early 2009, with cities to be announced.

Eminem Still Outta Control

2008-07-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

He might be MIA, but that doesn't stop trouble from finding Eminem.

A man has filed a lawsuit against the Oscar and Grammy-winning "Lose Yourself" rapper for an alleged incident that took place in a bathroom of a Detriot strip club two years ago.

Miad Jarbou says Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, punched him July 13, 2006, at Cheetah's On the Strip Gentlemen's Club. No charges were filed at the time.

Jarbou is seeking more than $25,000 in damages.

Madam Marie Dead

2008-07-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Fortune teller Madam Marie, a figure of rock 'n' roll mythology thanks to Bruce Springsteen, has died. She was in her mid-90s.

Sally Castello tells the Asbury Park Press that her great-grandmother, Marie Castello, died Friday. The psychic reader and adviser began telling fortunes on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in New Jersey in the 1930s.

Madam Marie became famous in 1973 when Springsteen paid homage to her in the song "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)."

His lyric, "Did you hear, the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do," cemented her fame.

Britney Spears House Hunting

2008-06-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Court records show Britney Spears is house-hunting — preferably for something greener, quieter and with a bigger backyard.

Documents released Monday show that Britney Spears seeks a house with a larger yard that's closer to parks and recreation areas for her children, Sean Preston and Jayden James. She also wants a "less trafficked" locale than her paparazzi-stalked Beverly Hills home, which she bought for nearly $7 million early last year.

Spears' father, James, requested the sale in mid-June, and a court commissioner agreed. James Spears is acting as his daughter's conservator following several incidents of erratic behavior by the 26-year-old singer.

The children's father, Kevin Federline, has custody.

A Winehouse Excuse?

2008-06-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse has early stage emphysema and her lungs have been damaged by smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes, her father said in an interview published Sunday.

The Sunday Mirror quoted Mitch Winehouse as saying that Amy has an irregular heartbeat, and has been warned that she will have to wear an oxygen mask unless she stops smoking drugs.

"The doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs, it won't just ruin her voice, it will kill her," Mitch Winehouse was quoted as saying. "There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She has 70 percent lung capacity."

The 24-year-old soul diva collapsed at her north London home Monday after signing autographs for a group of fans and was taken to a London hospital for tests. She remained there all week.

She is still scheduled to sing at a concert in London on Friday celebrating the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the South African Nobel Prize-winner, and plans to take part in the Glastonbury music festival the following day.

Mitch Winehouse said it would be good for his daughter to perform.

"When she's been inactive work-wise then that's when the problems really start. The doctors have said that medically there isn't any reason why she can't do Glastonbury," the paper quoted him as saying.

He also pleaded with her drug-taking friends to stay away from her.

"What hope does she have if people are taking drugs around her," he said.

Chris Goodman, spokesman for Amy Winehouse, said "If that's what Mitch says, that's what he says. It sounds right."

R. Kelly Adrdresses Judge At Trial

2008-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

R. Kelly told the judge in his child pornography trial Tuesday that he doesn't plan to testify in his own defense.

After Judge Vincent Gaughan told Kelly he had a right to not testify, the R&B singer leaned forward at the defense table with his hands folded and — speaking for the first time at the trial — responded: "I decided not to testify."

The jury wasn't in the room at the time.

R. Kelly, 41, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl. Both Kelly and the alleged victim, now 23, have denied being on the tape.

Also Tuesday, the judge ruled that jurors can view the sex tape once they begin deliberating.
Kelly's lawyers had asked the judge to bar jurors from reviewing the graphic video, saying they worried jurors would overemphasize one piece of evidence. But prosecutors argued the tape is the primary subject of the trial and couldn't be kept from jurors.

Prosecutors are scheduled to call two rebuttal witnesses. Closing arguments are likely to be delivered Thursday.

Kelly's attorneys surprised courtroom observers by resting their case Monday. Over two days, Kelly's lawyers called 12 witnesses. One was a forensics expert who testified there didn't appear to be a mole on the back of a man in a sex tape.

Defense attorneys say R. Kelly has a mole on his back, so the man on the tape can't be him. But a prosecution witness who'll take the stand for a second time is expected to challenge that claim.

Daddy Yankee's Movie

2008-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

After scoring the top-selling Latin album of 2007 with "El Cartel: The Big Boss," reggaeton star Daddy Yankee is beginning to pave the way for his next project with the track "Pose."

The twist? "Pose" is being presented as the first single from "Talento de Barrio: El Soundtrack," the soundtrack to Daddy Yankee's upcoming film debut, "Talento de Barrio."

This past March another single, the movie's theme song, "Somos Calle," was released, but not to radio. Instead, "Somos Calle," a more gritty, urban track, was available online and on video channels.

"Pose," in contrast, is more pop/dance than reggaeton and has quickly gained traction on stations nationwide. The song's tone is in keeping with Daddy Yankee's recent singles, including the similarly pop-friendly "Impacto," although the artist says "Talento de Barrio" explores a wide array of musical styles. The album includes collaborations with such Puerto Rican acts as Tempo and Arcangel.

The album is slated for release July 15 on the artist's own El Cartel Records, with distribution by Universal Music Group Distribution via Machete Records. Unlike "El Cartel: The Big Boss" (El Cartel/Interscope), "Talento" doesn't include any English-language tracks, and it will not be released under the Interscope banner. All promotion and marketing falls under El Cartel's jurisdiction.

In turn, the film "Talento de Barrio" (Barrio Talent), originally slated for release via Paramount, will now be released independently via separate distribution agreements in various countries. The movie, directed by Jose Ivan Santiago, is loosely based on Daddy Yankee's life growing up in one of San Juan, Puerto Rico's poorest neighborhoods.

Daddy Yankee stars as Edgar Dinero, a young man caught between the thug life of his barrio and his dream of becoming a reggaeton star. Reggaeton performers who have minor roles in the movie include Gringo (of duo Baby Rasta & Gringo), Glory and producer Eddie Dee.

Assistant Testifies Against R. Kelly

2008-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

A former personal assistant to R. Kelly became the latest person to take the stand and say she believes the R&B superstar appeared in a sex tape at the center of his child pornography trial.

Lindsey Perryman, who worked for Kelly and his family on and off from around 2000 to 2007, identified Kelly and the alleged victim in the graphic 27-minute videotape.

"I didn't want to think it was them," a sometimes anxious-looking Perryman said Tuesday, with the 41-year-old Kelly sitting at the defense table just yards away.

Kelly is charged with 14 counts of child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Kelly's attorneys have said he is not on the tape, even noting that the singer has a mole on his back and the man on the tape does not. The alleged victim, now 23, also has denied she is on the tape — putting the onus on prosecutors to call witnesses who can testify it is her.

Perryman told jurors she saw the tape for the first time in December 2007, after prosecutors approached her. That first time she wasn't sure it was Kelly and the alleged victim, but she became "110 percent" certain after viewing it again, she said.

"The image I saw looked exactly like Mr. Kelly," she said, adding she was "shocked" and "disturbed" by the video.

Perryman said she saw the alleged victim numerous times, including when she would come to Kelly's Chicago music studio. She recognized the girl as the one in the video by her cheekbones, as well as by the "distinctive" way she moved her mouth, smiled and talked, she told jurors.
Prosecutors claim the tape was made between Jan. 1, 1998, and Nov. 1, 2000, and that the young female in the tape was born in September 1984.

Several other prosecution witnesses also testified Tuesday that the female participant on the videotape was the same person prosecutors say was as young as 13 at the time.

Some sounded more convinced than others.

Benny Edwards Jr., who once sang in a youth group with his relative, the alleged victim, said he couldn't be sure if either figure was Kelly or the alleged victim.

Tjada Burnett, a family friend of the alleged victim, was more certain, saying she recognized the female by her "cheeks, her nose, her facial structure," and said she could have been about 12 or 13 years old at the time the tape was made.

Within hours of their opening statements last week, prosecutors entered the VHS tape into the record as "People's Exhibit No. 1" and played it in open court. Also last week, several witnesses, including a relative of the alleged victim, testified that they recognized her in the videotape.

Although Kelly won a Grammy in 1997 for the gospellike song "I Believe I Can Fly," his biggest hits are raunchy ballads like "Ignition" and his current single, "Hair Braider." He is scheduled to release a new album in July.

DMX X-es Out Rape Judgment

2008-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

A technicality got him on, and a technicality got Rapper DMX off. No pun intended.

A Maryland judge has voided a $1.5 million judgment the rapper was ordered to pony up to his baby mama who—follow along—sued DMX for defamation after he claimed she raped him during his sleep, resulting in their a child born in 2004.

During a January hearing, Monique Wayne was awarded a $1.5 million judgment, not due to the strength of her case, but because the rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, failed to show up for the hearing.

Last week, however, the tables turned once more, with Judge Thomas Smith ruling that the rapper was never properly served with court papers in the case and was not at fault for his no-show, thereby nullifying his need to shell out the settlement.

It works out better this way anyway. Now he can put that money toward the masses of therapy the poor kid's gonna need.

Could Winehouse Be On A New Path?

2008-05-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse will perform at this summer's Glastonbury Festival.

She will play the festival's main Pyramid Stage on June 28, just before headliner Jay-Z, it was announced Wednesday.

Organizers said the late addition of Winehouse to the lineup wasn't the result of issues in the singer's turbulent personal life.

Winehouse, 24, was arrested and questioned by police earlier this month about video footage that appeared to show her inhaling fumes from a crack pipe. Police later said she wouldn't be charged.

The Grammy-winning singer, best known for her breakthrough hit "Rehab," is also scheduled to play Britain's Bestival, T in the Park and V Festivals this summer.

Janet Jackson Announces Tour

2008-05-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

Though going out on tour means connecting with fans, it can also mean long hours, high stress, and sleepless nights. Janet Jackson says she's looking forward to all of it.

"I love all of that, all of that pressure, I really do," Jackson told The Associated Press on Monday as she gears up for a nationwide tour to kick off in September.

The tour, which opens in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 20 and includes dates in New York and Washington, is Jackson's first in seven years. But the singer, who just turned 42 last week, said she hadn't planned on waiting for so long.

"I was supposed to go on tour with the last album," said Jackson, referring to the 2006 CD "20 Y.O." But the singer said her record label wanted her to wait for her latest CD, 'Discipline.' "We were actually in full-blown tour rehearsals at that point ... learning numbers, getting everything together, set designs," she said. "I had to kind of shut everything down and go into the studio."

Jackson's shows have always been heavy on choreography and glitzy sets. But she promised fans some surprises this time around.

"It will definitely be a big production but it will definitely also be something that I've never done before, that people have never seen from me before," she said.

While only a few dates have been announced for the Live Nation tour, Jackson expects to take the "Rock Witchu" tour (named, by the way, for a song on her new album, not for her brother Michael's famous hit) worldwide.

"It's been a while so I really want to make my rounds," she said. "I haven't been to "Australia in a very long time; I can't wait to go there. There are a lot of places where I really want to stop off at, and that's the idea, that's the goal with this tour.

Tickets go on sale June 7.

R Kelly Trial Update!!

2008-05-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

A judge has denied a motion from news organizations seeking immediate access to sealed court records and transcripts in the R. Kelly child pornography trial.

Judge Vincent Gaughan (GAWN) also refused to lift a gag order forbidding attorneys to talk about the case.

The judge says he's not trying to inhibit the press. But he says the time isn't right to release the information and keeping it secret is the only way to guarantee a fair trial.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty to charges he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl. Jury selection in the R&B singer's trial finished this week. Opening arguments begin Tuesday.

Michael Jackson A National Treasure?

2008-05-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Nah, But His Album 'Thriller' apperently is...

The best-selling pop album on planet Earth and a disc sent hurtling into deep space are among recordings the Library of Congress will preserve for their cultural significance.

Twenty-five selections were added to the National Recording Registry on Wednesday, part of the library's attempt to save America's aural history by archiving recordings deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

The inductees range from Michael Jackson's 1982 all-time-bestseller "Thriller" and jazz artist Herbie Hancock's 1973 fusion smash "Headhunters" to the 1977 record of Earth sounds that flew aboard the spacecraft Voyager in the event alien life forms encountered the craft. Other recordings added to the registry include works by Roy Orbison, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Kitty Wells and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

A collection of Navajo songs, Harry Truman's 1948 Democratic National Convention speech, radio broadcasts from Ronald Reagan before he became president, and the original cast recording of "My Fair Lady" also made the cut, as did broadcasts of New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia reading comics to children during a 1945 newspaper delivery strike.

A recording of the first trans-Atlantic broadcast — an orchestral performance transmitted from London and relayed to the U.S. East Coast in 1925 — also was included because it represented a technological breakthrough in broadcasting.

The Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings each year to add to its registry and preserve. Nominations come from a Library of Congress preservation board and online suggestions from the public. The selections for 2007 bring the registry's total to 250.

Awkward! Alanis Bares "Rock Bottom"

2008-05-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sure, Alanis Morissette has an album coming out next month, but you have to wonder about the timing of this revelation: The Canadian pop singer says a recent breakup led to her to try "everything from pounding pillows to sharing with intimate friends" in order to get through "a personal unraveling of significant relationships in my life."

"The record chronicles the rock bottom finally being hit," she tells People.

Ouch. Be strong, Alanis. We've all been there.

Still, did you have to bare your "rock bottom" the same week a famous ex of yours, Ryan Reynolds, announced his engagement to hotastic Scarlett Johansson? (Who, yes, also has a new album of her own to push, BTW.) As much as we feel your pain, you oughta know that raining on your ex's parade just makes you look bitter. Next time, try saying, "I'm so happy for them"—even if you don't mean it.

Then you can go back to pounding the pillows.

MASHING MUSIC HEADLINES

2008-05-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

FOXY STAYING OUTTA JAIL

Foxy Brown has managed to avoid going back to jail. The rapper was in court yesterday to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of menacing for hitting a woman in the face with her blackberry. She was sentenced to time already served in jail and wrote a letter saying she’s sorry. This is Brown’s last court date, so now she just has to stay out of trouble.

PARIS STILL SINGLE

Paris Hilton has been sporting a new diamond ring, which has inevitably stirred up marriage rumors. When asked if it was an engagement ring from boyfriend Benji Madden she said, “It’s just a present, he’s sweet.” Paris did say the couple want to stay together forever. They have been dating for four months so maybe for Paris that is a really long time.

COLDPLAY ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES

Hot off the release of their new downloadable single, Coldplay has announced the dates for their upcoming tour. The North American leg of the Viva La Vida tour kicks of June 29 in Philadelphia, tickets go on sale soon so check out Coldplay.com for details.

Winehouse Arrested Again!!! WTF

2008-05-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse has been arrested on suspicion of drugs possession, police and her spokesman said Wednesday.

Winehouse's spokesman, Chris Goodman, said the arrest is connected to a video that is alleged to show the troubled singer taking drugs at a party in her home in north London.

Britain's The Sun tabloid in January published still images from a video that it claimed showed Winehouse inhaling fumes from a small pipe. The images were said to have been filmed during a party at her London home.

London's Metropolitan Police said a 24-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of drugs possession. Goodman confirmed his client was in police custody.

"Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is cooperating fully with inquiries," Goodman said in a statement.

"The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year," he said.

Winehouse is famous for her hit "Rehab." She has had a turbulent private life. Last month she was cautioned by police for assault after she slapped a man during a night out. That means no charges were filed, but the incident was placed on her record.

Shortly after The Sun published still photographs of the video, Amy Winehouse entered a London rehabilitation center.

Miley Cyrus Doesn't Address Photos

2008-05-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus returned to the stage for a concert in Orlando, Fla., but did not say anything about the recent controversy over her Vanity Fair portrait.

The 15-year-old star of Hannah Montana performed several songs at the Saturday concert that will be included in the Disney Channel Games series on the Disney Channel.

Cyrus didn't attend Friday's red-carpet party for the games at Disney's Epcot Center, where she would have faced questions from the media.

Miley Cyrus has said she was embarrassed by the photo, which shows her wrapped in a sheet with her back exposed.

She spotted a sign in the crowd Saturday that said "Miley I'm praying for you," and she responded: "I can't be more appreciative of that."

Saturday's concert also featured performances by the Jonas Brothers and the Cheetah Girls.

GTA 4 Music Successful As Game?

2008-05-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

With the highly anticipated video game "Grand Theft Auto 4" hot on streets, the game's soundtrack taps some big names in hip-hop and R&B in hopes of making the music as successful as the game itself.

The controversial game, which was originally scheduled to hit stores last October, finally arrived on shelves on Tuesday (April 29) to both fan fare and critical acclaim. The game is quickly on track to be the highest rated video game of all time and first-week sales are predicted to reach up to $400 million.

"Grand Theft Auto 4" is also slated to have the largest soundtrack of any game before it. It will also be the first game that allows players to tag songs in the soundtrack for subsequent purchase online through Amazon. The soundtrack, which took over a year and a half to compile, hopes to further escalate the game's appeal to a wide range of consumers.

The game will feature separate radio stations organized by genre, with songs by quite a few hip-hop and R&B stars including Kanye West, R Kelly, Busta Rhymes and Ne-Yo. DJ Green Lantern is also set to host one of the stations, producing an entire channel with all-original songs made exclusively for the game, rather than licensing existing tracks.

"We've really paid attention to what goes on in New York City and I think we really captured the music of the entire city, from different ethnic and social groups to different tastes of music," says Ivan Pavlovich, music supervisor of Rock Star Games.

While the exact numbers are unknown, the budget for the soundtrack could have exceeded $2 million, according to Rueters.

"Grand Theft Auto 4" is out now on Rock Star Games.

Ludacris: Building An Empire

2008-05-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Rapper Ludacris is set to release his sixth album, "Theater of the Mind," in September, a project he terms appropriately "theatrical."

He has been working on the Def Jam Records set while shooting "Max Payne," the big screen adaptation of the popular Rockstar video game.

Calling the album a collection of his experiences up to this point, Ludacris told Billboard.com that "Theater" will be film-worthy. Though he hasn't yet chosen a first single, he said a track should come out by June or July.

One track is called "Let's Stay Together," produced by DJ Paul of the Oscar-winning rap combo Three 6 Mafia.

His last album, 2006's "Release Therapy," sold 1.2 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and won the Grammy for best rap album.

Ludacris is squeezing in studio time between "Max Payne" film shoots in Toronto. He plays NYPD Deputy Police Chief Jim Bravura in the film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg. He will be in theaters October 31 with Guy Ritchie's "RocknRolla," which stars Thandie Newton and Jeremy Piven.

"It's about how the Russian mob came to Europe and took over," said Ludacris.

Winehouse Doesn't Learn

2008-04-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse was arrested on suspicion of assault Friday following reports that she scuffled with two men during a wild night out, Sky News television reported.

The 24-year-old soul diva, who recently entered rehab after years of erratic behavior and canceled concerts, arrived at a central London police station to answer questions relating to the alleged incident, her representatives said.

Police didn't directly confirm that Winehouse was in custody, saying only that a 24-year-old woman was being held on suspicion of assault. British authorities don't usually name suspects until they have been charged.

Winehouse didn't say anything to assembled photographers and cameramen as she walked into the station late Friday afternoon.

A man was quoted in tabloid newspapers as saying he was hit by Winehouse when he got in her way while she was playing pool at a bar in the Camden neighborhood and then head-butted another who was trying to hail her a cab in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Winehouse and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested in the Norwegian city of Bergen in October and held overnight on charges of drug possession. A video of her allegedly smoking crack hit the Internet shortly before she won five Grammys this year for her critically acclaimed album "Back to Black."

She was arrested in London in December on suspicion of attempting to interfere with a court case involving Fielder-Civil, but earlier this year police said prosecutors were no longer pursuing the affair.

Fielder-Civil faces charges of perverting the course of justice stemming from a case in which he is accused of assaulting a barman

More Cancelled Shows

2008-04-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Alicia Keys has scrapped a concert in Cleveland after canceling her show in Pittsburgh earlier this week.

A message posted on her Web site says the 27-year-old R&B singer has swollen vocal cords. She was scheduled to perform Thursday night at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center.

Keys plans to perform in Columbus on Saturday night.

Fans with tickets to the Cleveland show will have their tickets honored at Value City Arena in Columbus. They can also get a refund.

Keys isn't the only one on her tour with vocal problems. "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks was one of the opening acts, but she's now under a doctor's care and resting her voice, probably until next month.

Jay-Z Weds Beyonce

2008-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

A village clerk says a marriage license for Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z, dated April 4 and signed by the person who officiated at the wedding, is being filed with the state.

The license was received by mail last Friday, says Scarsdale Clerk Donna Conkling. She would not say who officiated.

The celebrities and their representatives had refused to confirm widespread rumors about the marriage. But there was a lavish party at Jay-Z's Manhattan apartment on April 4, with guests including Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce's former Destiny's Child bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

The couple have apparently been dating for six years. Knowles, 26, and Jay-Z, 38, whose real name is Shawn Carter, have collaborated on the songs "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Crazy In Love."

BACK IN BLACK

2008-04-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Australian rock band AC/DC will release its first album since 2000 later this year, according to a posting on the group's Web site Friday.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are working on the untitled project in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who has recorded such acts as Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen.
AC/DC's last album of new material, "Stiff Upper Lip," opened at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in March 2000, and inspired a yearlong world tour.

No tour details have been announced for the raucous rockers, who are known for such heavy-metal anthems as "Highway to Hell" and "Thunderstruck."

The new album will be AC/DC's first for Sony BMG's Epic Records label, which reissued the band's back catalog a few years ago.

Embryo In The Oven?

2008-04-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Is she or isn’t she? The rumors continue to swirl about whether or not Ashlee Simpson is pregnant.

On Tuesday, she had to face questions about being pregnant on MTV's TRL show. Simpson responded by refusing to answer and said it was "an inappropriate question to ask any woman."

Now People Magazine is jumping on the baby bandwagon and report that Ashlee is indeed expecting and planning a May wedding.

Finance and Fallout Boy frontman Pete Wentz denied the rumors earlier this week, calling it a witch hunt.

Braxton Cancels Shows

2008-04-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Toni Braxton won't return to the stage on the Las Vegas Strip until at least next month. The Flamingo Las Vegas says Braxton's show will remain dark this week while the 40-year-old Grammy winner has more medical tests following her April 7 hospitalization for chest pain.

Braxton was released the following day, but last week's shows were canceled.

Flamingo President Don Marrandino said her Tuesday-through-Saturday shows are also off, and Braxton will take advantage of a previously scheduled two-week break.

She is due to resume her show at the Flamingo Showroom on May 6.

The Flamingo is offering refunds for the canceled shows.

The exact cause of Braxton's chest pain hasn't been made public. She has been treated in the past for pericarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart.

Braxton is a six-time Grammy winner for songs including "Un-break My Heart." Her Las Vegas act, "Toni Braxton: Revealed," is in the midst of a two-year run at the Flamingo.

An Eminem Comeback!!!

2008-04-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Eminem is slated to make his comeback at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration.

The UK Sun is reporting that the Detroit rapper will headline the event that will be hosted by Will Smith and his wife Jada.

Mandela's B-day bash will take place June 27th at London’s Hyde Park.

Revolver Down A Man

2008-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Four founding members of the rock band Velvet Revolver said on Tuesday they were splitting with the group's troubled singer, Scott Weiland, citing his "increasingly erratic" behavior.

The announcement came in a terse statement from the group's management company as Weiland, 40, and his recently reunited original band, Stone Temple Pilots, were set next week to announce plans for a highly anticipated summer tour.

The Pilots, also known by their acronym, STP, already have confirmed a handful of upcoming dates, beginning with the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, on May 17-18.

For Weiland, whose career has long been overshadowed by heroin addiction, Rock on the Range will mark his first show with STP since the band played 13 concerts to promote its last album of new material, 2001's "Shangri-La Dee Da."

Following the breakup of STP, Weiland was welcomed as lead singer for Velvet Revolver, the newly formed grunge rock band founded by three former members of Guns N' Roses -- guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum -- along with second guitarist Dave Kushner.

Velvet Revolver was confronted from the start with Weiland's drug and legal problems as it juggled performance schedules, recording sessions and promotional work to accommodate his court dates and rehab.

Last month, Weiland pleaded innocent to a charge of driving under the influence of drugs stemming from his arrest on a Los Angeles freeway ramp in November. He is free on $40,000 bail and is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Friday.

A public feud between Weiland and Velvet Revolver's drummer already had cast doubt on the band's future when the statement on behalf of Sorum, Slash, McKagan and Kushner was issued under the headline "Velvet Revolver to Part Ways with Singer."

Chris Brown & Rihanna?

2008-03-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

Rihanna and Chris Brown both walked the orange carpet at the Kids' Choice Awards. Separately. "We're not in a relationship or anything," Brown told The Associated Press before Saturday's slime-filled ceremony.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks the R&B singers are dating, but Brown was quick to squash such gossip, insisting he was single and Rihanna was just a friend. The 18-year-old "Kiss Kiss" crooner, clad in a custom-made orange hoodie emblazoned with a blingin' Nickelodeon logo, later collected a trophy for favorite male singer.

Rihanna, 20, bypassed the press line before the awards ceremony, strutting down the carpet in a polka-dot corset top.

T.I. Pleads Guilty

2008-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Rapper T.I. pleaded guilty Thursday to federal weapons possession charges, and will receive a sentence that includes prison time after he completes a period of community service.

In the year that he is awaiting sentencing, T.I. , whose real name is Clifford Harris, must complete at least 1,000 hours of a total 1,500 hours of community service, talking to youth groups about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs.

He will be sentenced to serve about 12 months in prison after completing the community service, officials said. His prison time could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of the terms of the deal and good behavior, they said.

Harris, 27, who was dressed in a gray business suit, told the judge he understands the terms of the agreement.

He pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

Harris is one of pop music's most successful artists. His sixth album, "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," was released July 3, debuting at No. 1. He appeared in the 2007 film "American Gangster," which starred Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said Harris will remain "under strict bond conditions" during the next year.

He said Harris' sentencing was deferred "to allow him to perform a unique and extensive program — at least 1,000 hours — of community service. That service will focus on using his high public visibility and his talents to tell at-risk young people about the mistakes he has made and to educate them about the dangers of violence, guns, gangs and drugs."

Nahmias said under the agreement, Harris will have to serve a year in prison and three years of supervised home detention, perform a total of 1,500 hours of community service and pay a $100,000 fine.

Failure to fulfill his obligations will net Harris a "much longer prison sentence," Nahmias said.
Harris spoke to the media briefly after the hearing.

"I'd like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success," he said, adding that he takes the charges against him very seriously.

"I'm looking forward to turning this negative time in my life into a positive," he said. "I know I have a long road of redemption to travel."

He was arrested Oct. 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

Harris was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

He was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he was released on $3 million bond on Oct. 26.
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal.

Harris, who is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records, grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003 album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars.

JT In The TV Biz Too

2008-03-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Justin Timberlake has landed a new gig: He will produce an American version of the hit Peruvian comedy “My Problem With Women” for NBC.

The series “follows the adventures of Jose, a thirty-something bachelor who begins seeing a therapist in an attempt to understand why all of his romantic relationships fail,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

If it’s anything like “Dick in a Box,” it might be good

Diddy Travels To Hollyhood

2008-03-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Sean 'Diddy' Combs, made his debut in his first starring role on Monday, February 25th in the reprised role of Walter Lee in a "Raisin in the Sun". Ratings far exceeded expectations across every demographic. The movie’s impact produced huge numbers across varying ethnicities and spanned every age group. "Raisin in the Sun", which featured Sean Combs and all-star cast Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan and John Stamos, ranked #1 Monday night, allowing ABC to turn in its strongest night amongst viewers in 3 months. Raisin was TV’s highest-rated original movie since November 2005 among key demographic audiences. 12.7 Million viewers tuned in to see this revived classic.

Combs is planning to be bi-coastal to focus on his acting career.

Combs says, "This has been a life changing experience for me. I love acting. In order to make movies, I have to be where the movies are being made".

Heidi Pairing Up With Spears?

2008-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

KIIS-FM’s On Air With Ryan Seacrest debuted this trashtastic song called ‘Dramatic’ which pairs up Britney Spears And Heidi Montag.

Sources say the two didn’t actually sing together, Heidi found an old demo of Britney’s that was never used and obviously threw her voice in on the song also.

It’s crap Heidi, total crap. Even stealing someone else’s shit and trying to make yourself sound better doesn’t work. Instead of singing you should work on getting those teeth filed down… It may actually help your voice!

JT And Madonna

2008-02-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

In Touch magazine has learned that former *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake has been tabbed to present Madonna into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City.

Timberlake and the Material Girl have been working together on her upcoming album, and they recently shot the video for its lead single '4 Minutes to Save the World'.

Eminem About To Be An Author

2008-02-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

The news of an Eminem autobiography was a bit premature, according to a rep from the rapper.

A UK based media out reported earlier this week that Eminem is planning to publish an autobiography entitled Eminem: The Way I Am through Orion Books in October. But, according to Em's publicist, the info was premature and some of it wasn't all true.

"It's unfortunate that someone who does not have intimate knowledge of the book felt compelled to jump the gun on announcing it by delivering partial and inaccurate information," Eminem's publicist Dennis Dennehy said via statement.

"The news about the project came from the UK publisher, who is not involved in the day-to-day editing or creation of the book," he continued, before confirming that Em is, in fact, working on a book. Dennehy said that Eminem does have a book in the works in which the rapper "details certain aspects of his personal and professional life," but the book is still in the process of being edited and does not yet have a firm release date.

Chairman Jay-Z

2008-02-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

A little over a week ago, Jay-Z was named chairman of the New York-based 'Translation Advertising' company. Jay-Z owns 51 percent of the company with fellow music businessman Steve Stoute. Now he is letting everyone know what he plans to do as chairman.

"The title of the company says it all, translation. You know, a way to talk to corporate America and have them understand our voice, really," Jay-Z said, "Not any satire or any type of way like that. Or people breakdancing in the store and things like that because that’s not what we do when we go look for a phone. We don’t walk into a store and hit the breakdance moves and things like that. It’s just a better understanding."

Valentine's Day Present!

2008-02-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to compile a list of what I feel are the Top 10 Valentine's Day Songs. Use it wisely and try to bang all lady friends you know.

1. KC & JoJo - All My Life

2. Beatles - In My Life

3. Carpenters - We've Only Just Begun

4. Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You

5. Crystals - Then He Kissed Me

6. Bette Midler - Chapel Of Love

7. 98 Degrees - I Do (Cherish You)

8. *NSYNC - This I Promise You

9. Sting - Fields Of Gold

10. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Another Rapper Arrested

2008-02-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Juvenile was arrested in Meridian, Miss. On the 12th for possession of under an ounce of marijuana.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department said he was in a car pulled over for expired tags, though it was unclear whether or not he was the one driving. He was booked and released at 2:12 PM ET after paying a $623 bond.

No Plans For The Police

2008-02-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

The Police have disappointed fans by announcing that they have no intention to record any more new material. The trio suspended work together in the mid 80’s amid reports of tensions within the group, but reformed last year for an extensive world tour.

They prompted speculation that the concerts would be followed up by a new record. Andy Summers denies the band will be heading back to the recording studio, insisting that they are only interested in performing their previous hits.

He says, “No project for the moment. We only work for the tour, we want just the old songs to be good. We don’t work on new ones.”

Pimp C Overdosed

2008-02-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Rap artist Pimp C, an influential hip-hop figure who had recorded an ode to getting high from cough medicine, died accidentally at a Sunset Strip hotel because of the combination of a medical condition and cough syrup, the Los Angeles County coroner said Monday.

The 33-year-old Pimp C, whose real name was Chad Butler, was found lying on his bed at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood on Dec. 4 after he failed to check out as expected. The coroner's report said the death was "due to promethazine/codeine effects and other unestablished factors."

Cher Bangs Out Massive Deal With Casino

2008-02-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Cher is coming out retirement to play a series of Las Vegas shows. The 61-year-old singer – who claimed she would never perform live again after her 2005 'Farewell Tour’ – has signed a deal reportedly worth $200 million for a three-year residency at Caesars Palace hotel.

Cher said: 'It is going to be a visually unbelievable show with brilliant choreography. Our set moves down from the ceiling, in from the sides, up from the floor. We have screens in the foreground, the centre and the back. We can change a city into a forest in two seconds. You'll see a different stage for every song."

The star is expected to perform four shows a week at the venue's 4,100 seat Colosseum starting from May 6.

Hot 10 Singles

2008-02-07T11:02:00.001-08:00

Flo Rida's Low enters its 7th week at no. 1 on the Hot 100 singles chart.

Top 10 Singles on the Hot 100:

1. Flo Rida - Low feat. T-Pain
2. Chris Brown - With You
3. Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music
4. Timbaland - Apologize feat. OneRepublic
5. Alicia Keys - No One
6. Sara Bareilles - Love Song
7. Fergie - Clumsy
8. Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction
9. Yael Naim - New Soul
10. Sean Kingston - Take You There

New Janet Jackson CD

2008-02-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

The critically acclaimed Janet Jackson is back bringing, “Feedback.” This project has all Miss Janet fans in an uproar in hopes for another classic. The song itself is another commercial lackluster; no substance here folks just dance music. However, this doesn’t stop the fact the song is uber-catchy and just fun to dance too.

A lot of Janet Jackson fans thought her last two albums excluded a lot of her fans i.e. too R&B or “Black.” Do you blame them? She had Khia on a track…She’s defiantly not trying to exclude anyone on this album. The line of the song clearly states anyone should be able to jam; “Black Skin, Light Skin, my Asian persuasion.”

The video was aired a couple days ago, Great Britian’s Saam Farahmand directed it. The video features faceless and raceless male dancers. The video takes place in space as Janet climbs on planets of all sorts jamming with these unknown creatures. My personal favorite part of the video was the last 45 seconds.

Overall this project looks rewarding for Janet and her fans.

Glow In The Dark Tour

2008-02-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Kanye West knows how to stir up a hype and make it look really, really good.

Check out the teaser flyer of his upcoming tour that also features Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco. That's definitely a show I'm looking forward to see. Details and a full tour schedule are still under wraps, but bookmark this special site to keep abreast of the latest information.

Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D.(aka Pharell, Chad and Shay) are very fitting additions to the line up.

The tune is called "Everything Nose" and not only features The Neptunes' signature homebrew synth-funk but also some pretty racy and bold lyrics that might turn off some people (and possibly get it banned from MTV and radio). The beats are totally wicked though.

Big Beck Dogg

2008-02-05T11:07:00.001-08:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg has said that he wants soccer star David Beckham to rap with him on his next album.

He says that he looks forward to their “separate worlds coming together” if Becks would be willing.

Snoop said, “If David asked to be on my album, I wouldn’t mind opening it up and letting him in because you never know what could come out of that.”

“At the moment we are having lots of meetings and we’re talking about doing projects together but nothing is rock solid right now.

“We’ve just got a lot of great ideas for movies, footwear and stuff - we are going to bring his world and my world together and try to make something appealing to everybody.”

I have to wonder if David Beckham can rap?

Abdul Update!!!!

2008-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Paula Abdul was not content in releasing a new song with Randy Jackson, or even pre-recording a performance for this Sunday’s Superbowl….Nope, the pop trainwreck is planning on releasing an entire CD of brand spankin’ new songs.

Her official website says that there’s a new Paula Abdul album coming out in the summer of 2008.

Her new song, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” didn’t entirely suck, so maybe we might have to scoop up her new CD to see if she’s still “forever our girl”….

Okay, that joke was cheesy…my bad.

What's Happening To The Roc?

2008-01-31T14:26:00.000-08:00

As rumors have swirled recently that Roc-A-Fella Records and their artists had all been dropped from Def Jam, Beanie Sigel's manager Mark Byers confirmed to Billboard.com that this is not the case.

"Beans and Freeway didn't get dropped," says Beanie Sigel's manager, Mark Byers. "I just got off the phone with L.A. Reid talking about the next video for ‘Rain’ featuring Raheem DeVaughn that we're about to release.

We're re-launching Beanie's project and releasing a ‘Rain’ remix with State Property."Despite Byers stance, the departure of Jay-Z from Def Jam as well as his inner circle, including A&R SVP Jay Brown and A&R VP Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith, giving their resignations this month, has left many unsure of the future.

"I don't think there's going to be a Roc-A-Fella anymore," an insider told Billboard. "I do think each artist will have to go to the new people in charge and have a meeting separately. But the Roc artists aren't going to roll over and die."

Hip Hop Album Chart Topperz

2008-01-31T14:13:00.001-08:00

The good news for Lupe Fiasco is that for the sixth straight week he is holding down the top spot on Billboard's 'Top Rap Albums Chart.' The bad news is he couldn't even crack the top 25 albums overall.

Fiasco's "The Cool" moved another 17,928 units this week to bring his overall total to 286,211. The number placed him 29th overall, a far cry from the "Juno" soundtrack which took over the #1 spot overall with 65,000 units moved.

Soulja Boy's "Souljaboytellem.com" hangs in at #2 (#37 overall) with 15,887 sold this week, bringing him to 727,069 total.

Meanwhile Kanye West inches closer to double platinum status, as "Graduation" comes in at #3 with 12,368, 1,958,201 overall.

Jay-Z's "American Gangster" is just shy of platinum at 953,276, and lands the #4 spot, while Birdman's "Five Star Stunna" rounds out the top five.

Ludacris & Soulja Boy Preforming At Superbowl?

2008-01-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hahaha...not.

According to recent reports, Ludacris will be performing at ESPN The Magazine's Next party on February 1, 2008, which is part of a number of events leading up to the Feb. 3rd Super Bowl at Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium.

Artist Soulja Boy who has also been booked for an ESPN the Magazine event will host a dance challenge featuring athletes who will be reportedly attempting to master the famous "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)" choreography on February 2, 2008. The Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Alicia Keys Is The Top Bill At The '08 Grammies

2008-01-30T14:22:00.001-08:00

It was announced earlier today that Alicia Keys will be performing at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, airing Sunday, February 10 on CBS at 8 pm live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The R&B singer will be joined by Beyonce, Tina Turner, Rihanna, Mary J Blige and many other artists that are listed as performers at the event.

I wonder if Britney Spears will be on the bill...LOL!

More Spears Dirt

2008-01-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

Just hours after Britney Spears' camp announced that she was seeking psychological treatment, the pop star got into another public breakdown.

The trouble began Monday evening, when she and confidante-manager-hanger-on Sam Lutfi went for a short drive around Beverly Hills, Calif. When they returned to her home, she jumped out of the white Mercedes near the guard gate. Ms. Spears, clutching her Yorkie puppy London, wandered around with tears in her eyes and plopped down on the curb. Meanwhile, a crowd of photographers snapped away.

She then downplayed the incident, saying, "I'm fine. I'm ... having a nice time with my dog."

Later, Brit's paparazzi pal-with-benefits Adnan Ghalib showed up at the gate, but was turned away. He proceeded to show fellow shooters a series of text messages, one in which Mr. Lufti allegedly referred to Mr. Ghalib as a "manic trigger" for Ms. Spears.

Los Angeles police eventually arrived in search of trespassers. They ticketed paparazzi that were illegally parked. (Thanks to TMZ.com)

Snoopy On The Tele?

2008-01-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

Big Snoop Dogg is trying to get on day time Soap Opera's now. The New York Post is reporting that Snoop Dogg heard that recently Mary J. Blige finished taping two episodes for "One Life To Live" and called the show to write and perform a new theme song for the day time drama.

Snoop isn't confirmed to be involved with the show yet but the supervising music director seems hopeful, "I'm a huge fan of Snoop and I'd love to hear what he'd come up with," said Paul Glass. Mary J. Blige's episodes of One Life to Live will air Feb. 15 and 18.

Quick News Buzz

2008-01-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page said Monday he was ready to take the legendary band on a world tour after burning up the stage at last month's reunion concert in London.

M.J. To Record An Album With "Friends"

2008-01-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Pop superstar Michael Jackson has vowed to "surprise" his loyal fans with a host of celebrity collaborations on the remake of his hit album Thriller.

The singer will release a 25th anniversary edition of the 1982 LP later this year. And Michael Jackson has promised a number of big names will feature on the release.

He says, "I'm coming back. And I've got a very special treat for all of my fans. I have been recording Thriller: 25th Anniversary, with a lot of surprise guests."

How To Make Money In Music

2008-01-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

Collectively, the games Guitar Hero III and Rock Band have sold a staggering 7.5 million downloadable songs in just three months (two for Rock Band), with tracks selling for 99 cents and up. That's a level equal to seven times platinum.

MTV, noting that only about a million copies of Rock Band itself have been sold so far, said that the numbers were surprising. Says an exec, "We live in a rough time around music where our audience struggles to pay $20 for a CD but don't hesitate to pay $50 for a game. The notion to pay 99 cents or $1.99 to have a song and repeatedly play with it apparently isn't a big hurdle."
And there's the rub: Once you've spent $50 (and in fact, in the case of Rock Band, it's more like $170), adding another buck to the investment is virtually meaningless. It's a clever trick of the mind that convinces you that somehow a 99 cent song is worth more after you've already invested a lot of money beforehand than, say, just buying the same song online without a prior involvement. (Of course, the Rock Band track also comes in the form of a playable game.) The proof? The hottest Rock Band tracks are selling only a few hundred extra copies from services like iTunes vs. hundreds of thousands of copies in game form.

So what are the hottest sellers? For Rock Band, a Metallica pack including "Ride The Lightning," "Blackened," and "And Justice For All" is the top-selling download. Surprisingly, the best-selling single is Foreigner's classic rock jam "Juke Box Hero," followed by Creedence's "Fortunate Son" (a cover version), Weezer's "Buddy Holly," and "My Sharona" (also a cover).

He's Arrested Again

2008-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Law enforcement officials say that Lil' Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr., was arrested near Yuma, Arizona last night on three felony counts: possession of dangerous drugs, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cops tell TMZ that the Drug Enforcement Agency was involved in the arrest - which means it's a big deal! Lil' Wayne's tour bus apperently went through a US Border Patrol checkpoint when the narcotics were allegedly found, that's when the DEA was called in.

Wayne is currently in the custody of the Yuma County Sheriff's Department, where he'll be held pending his arraignment at 9:00 AM PT.

Weezy (His Tour Bus) was in possession of Cocaine, Ecstacy, Marijuana, $22,000 in cash and a Pistol! Read on for more info.

Obama Plans To Use Hip Hop As A Positive! What?

2008-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

If it worked for Schoolhouse Rock, it'll work for Barack Obama. The US presidential candidate says, if elected, he plans to use hip-hop to educate the people. But before you start shuddering at the thought of him interrupting next year's Amazing Race finale to drop some mad rhymes in a presidential address, Obama says he plans to use existing hip-hop superstars to spread a message of positive social change.

In an interview with BET news program What's in It For Us Jan. 8, B-Rock, as he's known in the pages of Vibe Magazine said: "I've met with Jay-Z. I've met with Kanye [West]. And I've talked to other artists about how potentially to bridge that gap. I think the potential for them to deliver a message of extraordinary power that gets people thinking (is massive)."

But if he gets his iPod favourites to join his presidential entourage, Obama will be trying to sneak in a few feel-good re-writes.

"There are times, even on the artists I've named, the artists that I love, that there is a message that's sometimes degrading to women, uses the N-word a little too frequently.

"But also something that I'm really concerned about is (they're) always talking about material things about how I can get something; more money, more cars."

Just sub the rhymes about hos and bling for a few lines about campaign donations, and we smell a hit.

Avril Reaches Settlement

2008-01-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Avril Lavigne has reached a confidential settlement in the lawsuit alleging she plagiarized her hit single “Girlfriend”.

Seventies band The Rubinoos were claiming Avril’s track sounded mysteriously similar to their 1979 song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Avril said she had never heard the song, and her manager has consulted a musicologist who indicated no similarities between the tunes. Yeah right!

Eminem Sent To Hospital

2008-01-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

According To TMZ -The Worlds Most Famous White Rapper; Eminem Was Rushed Into Hospital Over The Christmas Period.

Eminem's publicist told TMZ: "Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia. He has since been released and is doing well recovering at home."

It is also mentioned that Em's weight has 'ballooned' to 200lbs, if that's true then he might have to take back the title of 'Slim-Shady'. Still, lets hope he is getting better!

Cash Anniversary Concert Cancelled

2008-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

What is this world coming too? The concert that would mark the 40th anniversary of the historic Folsom State Prison has been cancelled. According to the Los Angelous Times, the prison and the concert promoter are blaming each other for the cancellation.

If Johnny Cash only knew what was going on. The Man in Black must be rustling in his grave as he always believed that prison inmates should receive second chances.

2007-12-18T10:23:00.001-08:00

Probably one of the most important releases of this year comes from Wyclef Jean, one of my most favourite artists of all time. 10 years after his solo debut with Carnival one, here comes the Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant album.

The album sounds, as expected, amazingly good. On each track Wycleaf invited some friends to sing with, therefore you can also hear Shakira, Norah Jones, Mary J Blige and so on.

One of the best tracks comes from what would seem like an odd combination - Wyclef Jean feat Serj Tankian (from System of a Down) - Riot into the most rock sound of the album.
“Sweetest girl (dollar bill)” is one of the most played tracks on the radios, featuring Akon and Lil Wayne. Then there’s “Any Other Day“, with Nina Simone, featuring a more peaceful sound in order to adapt to her great voice. Paul Simon sings on “Fast Car", reminding of Tracy Chapman’s track while Mary J Blige puts the passion she’s renowed for in “What about the Baby“.

All in all, a great album and an amazing journey through a diversity of musical genres.

"Super Broke" Scott Storch?

2007-12-11T10:56:00.001-08:00

Could music producer Scott Storch's cash flow be running low? One Florida insider told Page Six Storch's credit cards were recently declined at a Miami club. "He's had to pay cash for everything," said the source.

In 2006, Rolling Stone reported that Storch , who has worked with 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé, was worth $70 million. But by August 2007, Forbes had that number down to $17 million, and we've reported on Storch's panache for covering lady friends like Lindsay Lohan in expensive diamond jewelry. A rep for the mogul had "no comment" for Page Six.

Pimp C Funeral Info

2007-12-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Services for Chad Butler aka Pimp C will be held this Thursday, December 13th, 2007 in Port Arthur at the Robert A. Bowers Civic Center at 3401 Cultural Center Drive , Port Arthur, TX (409) 985-8801

Services begin at 11AM and will be open to the public. No cameras of any kind, including cell phones will be allowed into the civic center without exception. This is so that those grieving can do so in private and with dignity. Please respect that this is the wish of the family.

Britney, Britney, Britney

2007-12-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears recently joined the five-finger discount club, which includes notorious member Winona Ryder, who joined in 2002. The singer bragged to photogs about stealing a disposable lighter from a gas station.

The owner of the Chevron stop is now looking for the Britney to pay for the lighter. He told PEOPLE he has no intentions of filing a police report, but hopes, "maybe the next time she comes back she will pay for it." Britney has never been one to shy away from sharing, well, most things when it comes to her body. And although this may be of a lesser degree than, say, a crotch shot, Brit Brit should have learned back in grade school to chew with her mouth closed.

After one of her daily trips to Starbucks, the pop-trama opened her mouth wide just when she took a big lick of whipped cream. Gross! On yet another Starbucks run, Britney was caught snapping at one of the many members of the paparazzi when he bumped into her car.

Greenday To Hit The Studio

2007-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Green Day are to enter the studio in January to work on the follow up to 2004's huge-selling American Idiot.

Earlier this year, the band said they had 45 songs for their new album. The band's manager said that although they would be hitting the studio, no release date was forthcoming.

The manager said that they would be updating Greenday.com at that time too.
On the site the band announced they would be stepping away from all American Idiot themes, and that the new site wasn't going to be themed around the new album, reports Music News website.

Lohan Hitting The Studio Again

2007-12-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

According to People magazine, Lindsay Lohan is finally finding time to return to her music career. The pop singer, whose last album was 2005's "A Little More Personal (Raw)", will reportedly start recording a new album for Motown Records (she moved from Casablanca records in 2006) within the next two weeks.

Fall Out Boy Longs To Be Gay

2007-12-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

Pete Wentz has long played with the rules of gender. The Fall Out Boy bassist is the certified poster boy for guyliner, wears women's jeans and often makes out with his male bandmates on stage.

While such acts prompt confusion around Wentz's sexual orientation -- despite having a longtime girlfriend, Ashlee Simpson -- he says it's all nothing more than an attempt to confront homophobia. "I would never come out and say I'm gay, because I'm not gay," Wentz told NPR's 'All Things Considered.' "There's part of me that kind of wishes I was gay, and I think that comes from anybody constantly wishing they were in the minority and constantly wants to be fighting everybody off."

Wentz cites gender-bending rockers like David Bowie and Marilyn Manson as inspiration for his own playful ways. "My whole point is I think there's something in art where you should be making people feel uncomfortable," he said.

Buzz Music's Hot 10 Tracks

2007-11-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Here are the top 10 tracks for Friday November 30th. Enjoy!

Akon - Wanna Be Starting Something

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

Will.I.Am - Heartbreaker

Fat Joe - I Won't Tell

Loon - How You Want That

New Timbaland Music

2007-11-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

If you haven't figured out that Timbaland's new song "Appologize" is a hit by now…it's time to get on the wagon! This song sounds like nothing else out there, and features one of the biggest name producers in the biz, teaming up with respected rockers One Republic. The song is featured on Timbaland's release "Timbaland Presents Shock Value." I definitly think you should get your listen on, so go out and purchase this album.

Alicia Keys: Hot As Ever

2007-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

R&B star Alicia Keys performed her new single "Like You'll Never See Me Again" on monday's show of "The Tyra Banks Show". It was a FLAWLESS performance! Alicia looks hot as hell.

I can't wait to see this new single topping the charts too. Because as you know "No One" currently stands at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the new album "As I Am" debuted at #1 selling 742,000 copies! This has been an amazing year for Alicia.

Manson To Attempt Snake Record

2007-11-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Marilyn Manson has revealed that has dreams of breaking a very strange world record which involves sharing a bath with snakes. Manson says he wants to break the record held by ‘Texas Snakeman’ Jackie Bibby who shared a tub with 87 rattlesnakes for 45 minutes.

A friend of Manson’s said, "He thought about all the wacky records he could try and break, and came across Jackie Bibby's record. That's when he decided he wanted to try and break it."

Bibby holds four records in total including one which includes holding eight rattlesnakes in his mouth by their tales. He said of his technique of keeping himself out of harms way, "They can go wherever they want as long as they don't start biting. The key to not biting is for me to stay still."

"Rapid movement scares a rattlesnake. If you move real slow and gentle, that doesn't seem to bother them.”

Foxy Brown Update!

2007-11-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Did you ever think you'd hear the words "Foxy Brown" and "good behavior" in the same sentence? Well, here goes: Rapperista Foxy Brown has been let out of "punitive segregation" early -- for -- yes -- "good behavior" while in solitary. She was supposed to do 76 days in the unit, but only did 40 days. We're told that she was one of four female inmates given early release among the 20-plus in the unit, and our source stressed that she received neither celebrity nor holiday treatment. Foxy got herself thrown into solitary for shoving another inmate and refusing to give a urine sample, but we're told that she was compliant and cooperative. Do you believe in miracles?

Spice Girls Tour Update

2007-11-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Fans in Buenos Aires encountered quite the scare this weekend when various web sites reported the concert for the group's reunion world tour had been cancelled. Reps for the Spice Girls are adamantly denying the internet claims that originated after a fake e-mail was sent to fans saying the British pop stars had nixed the Buenos Aires event.

"The Spice Girls would like to make it clear that they have not cancelled their Buenos Aires show," a spokesperson for the girls told BBC News, CBC reports. "The fake e-mail claims that due to the demand so far in the U.K. and the U.S., this show is going to be cancelled. This is not the case and this e-mail is 100 per cent unofficial and has nothing to so with the Spice Girls," the rep said in a statement.

The girls most widely known as Scary, Sporty, Ginger, Baby and Posh made the announcement this spring that they would be reuniting for an exclusive world tour. The tour will start on on Dec. 2 in Vancouver.

Buzz Music's Hot 10 Tracks

2007-11-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

Celine Dion - Fade Away lyrics
Pitbull - Un Poquito lyrics
Bow Wow - Bachelor Pad lyrics
Bow Wow - Listen lyrics
Bow Wow - He Ain’t Gotta Know lyrics
Chris Brown - Blind Folded lyrics
Css - Music Is My Hot Hot Sex lyrics
Leona Lewis - Take A Bow lyrics
R. Kelly - Crazy lyrics
Mary J Blige - Just Fine lyrics