the chal banz blog

Daily Roundup: Janet Jackson recently conducted an interview with Hong Kong magazine, Prestige in which she adamantly spoke about her relationship with JD among others. Janet mentioned her feelings towards JD spending more time working with Mariah Carey and Usher when her album comes out first. I think she has a valid point but I thought L.A. Reid was executive producing this project. While JD is a cool producer his input into "20 Y.O" didn't help her any. "20 Y.O" was actually Janet's lowest selling album in years. Even "Damita Jo" sold a million plus. Anyway Janet has a lot to prove though I am loving this new single, "Feedback". I can't wait to hear what Janet has in store for us on "Discipline". Remember the new album will be released February 26, 2008. Production and guests appearances include Maroon 5 , The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Jermaine Dupri, and Rodney Jerkins . It has been recently revealed that Snoop Dogg has ...

Here is a new promo pic from Trina's upcoming album, "Still Da Baddest". I love this picture of Trina . If you have noticed it is an alternative picture of the same one that appears on the blog's right margin. Trina has really been on her grind and I hope all her hard work pays off. Remember "Still Da Baddest" will be released February 12, 2008. The album features guest appearances and production from Cool & Dre (producers, Christina Milian "Say I"), Rick Ross , Trick Daddy , and Mya . The first single is "I'm Single Again" which Trina recently shot a video for.

Amy Winehouse - Black Widow Like many artists before her, Amy's personal life has recently overshadowed her music. Fortunately for Amy the focus has been put back on the music as she has been nominated for 6 Grammy's and has recently released her new single, "Love Is A Losing Game." Alicia Keys - Soul Sista Alicia continues to dominate the Pop/R&B charts with her hit singles, "No One" & "Like You'll Never See Me Again" as well as her hit album, "As I Am" which was recently certified 2x platinum. Expect Ms. Keys to continue her domination in 2008. Jamie Lynn Spears - Puppy Love Britney Spears kid sister and star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101" shocked fans and everyone alike with her announcement that she was pregnant at 16. Suddenly the spotlight was suddenly off Britney and on Jamie Lynn as everyone had something to say about the latest drama to emerge from the Spears family. Chris Stokes/Raz B - Private Life When...

Daily Roundup: Hello all! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season and vacation. It is a slow news day, and it will continue to be for the next few days. I will be keeping you updated on all your entertainment news and so forth as it becomes available. I won't be surprised if more allegations arise from the Raz B / Chris Stokes saga. Other than that I have a little newsfor you. "The Flavor Of Love: Season 3" will premiere on VH1 February 11, 2008. The show moves to Monday nights now from its usual Sunday nights. I was just talking to my friend about this who was asking me when it comes on. I'm interested in seeing this season though I think they should retire this already. It is truly a guilty pleasure for most if not all people. I think Flav is getting a little old for this though but I know VH1 is throwing him the dollars. LeToya Luckett's untitled sophomore album will be released on June 10, 2008. Toya's album was originally scheduled to be release...

Daily Roundup: The whole Raz B / Chris Stokes fiasco grows with each day! Raz B's brother Ricky Romance has said the apology tape was fake and he was paid for it. Now a blogger B. Scott (Google him) has been threatened by one of Chris Stokes cousins for simply adding his two cent into this charade. This is getting really crazy and interesting at the same time. Expect this to carry over into the next year! This will (and is) be one of the biggest stories in R&B of late 2007 and 2008. It looks like Beyonce won't be releasing an album in summer of '08 after all. I find that pretty hard to believe with her being the overachiever she is. If anything I'd expect her to be releasing the album earlier than planned. Meanwhile Beyonce won't be recording a country album as widely reported but will incoporate some country artists. Look forward to the new Beyonce album in November 2008 or sooner. It looks like Brandy won't be charged after all for the deadly car cras...

Tweet feat Missy Elliott - Oops (Oh My) The debut hit single and video from Tweet had everyone talking about what exactly was Tweet singing about. Self-love, a lover, or was she just drunk as hell. The mystery paid off as Tweet's debut album, "Southern Hummingbird" went platinum and contained two hit singles, "Oops (Oh My)" and "Call Me". Look for Tweet to drop her new album, "Love, Tweet" in April.

Daily Roundup: So Trina's new single is really "I'm Single Again" as the rapper is set to film her video on Dec 28th. Strangely enough I have seen no press for the song except through her MySpace. I have yet to hear the song on radio then again I hardly listen to the radio. I hope this single does fare well for her even though a lot of people haven't been so receptive towards it. Trina's "I Got A Bottle" featuring Missy Elliott was rumored to the 1st single (and 2nd single) but I'm also reading "Wish I Never Met You" featuring Mya may be the follow-up single. Hmm upon closer inspection I bet the other song is a thinly veiled disses towards Lil' Wayne . Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson claims that Em has lied about his "trailer park trash" childhood only to be accepted into the hip hop community. Deb, on the heels of her own tell-all book goes on to say his first album, "Infinite" flopped so he changed his wh...

R. Kelly . I'm tired of reading about Kells avoiding court and his diva fits. We all are familiar with Kells infamous sex tape, and we all know it was him in the video. What exactly has kept Kells from having a trial? His celebrity! Kells case will finally go to trial May 8th but not without a fight. What is more surprising is when he kicked NeYo off his "Double Up" tour. I'm starting to think Kells and other artists (as big as he is) don't mesh well together. In the future you might want to stick to featuring lesser known artists on your bill if you don't want to be overshadowed. The whole seven dressing rooms was ridiculous. Clearing the hallway just so he could walk through it. Please, you are not the Pope let alone the president of the US. With that said R Kelly sit your ass down!

The ongoing war of words between Chris Stokes and Raz B has taken a rather unpredictable turn as Raz B has denied all claims made about Chris Stokes! Notice how Raz B wasn't looking directly into the camera. I suspect his apology wasn't heartfelt either. I think he is simply trying to do some damage control. Too late!

Daily Roundup: There are new details emerging regarding the fatal car crash involving singer Brandy . According to the CHP, the woman killed in the fatality allegedly struck the vehicle in front of her first striking her brakes causing Brandy to hit her car.The L.A. City attorney has until Friday to decide whether or not Brandy will be charged for vehicular manslaugther or not. Omarion has spoke out against Chris Stokes molestation claims saying "I won't stand silent". Omarion claims to not have noticed any inappropriate behavior from Stokes since being knowing him since 5. Chris Stokes is married to Omarion's aunt as well so I guess Marques Houston will be speaking out next. It had been reported that Remy Ma had been sued for $10 million dollars but it turns out she has been sued for $20 million dollars by her friend who claims Remy shot her. Our or your favorite Black Eyed Pea Fergie Ferg is reportedly engaged to her boyfriend Josh Duhamel. Google him if you don...

Daily Roundup: Rapper Timbaland once contemplated retiring. I truly don't know what it is with the rappers always contemplating retiring. Anyway his next cd is slated to be released November 4, 2008! If you think the last cd was hot on guest appearances get a load of the guest appearances on the upcoming untitled set. The guests include: Cher,Madonna, Dido, Mary J. Blige , Linkin Park, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera , Gwen Stefani , and Akon . Wow! Talk about star power! We will have to see if and how Timbaland pulls this one off. Trey Songz smacks his bitch up during a recent concert where a concert goer threw ice at the singer. Obviously upset and unmoved by the silly gesture, Trey stopped the music and nosedived in the the crowd. Once Trey and security dived in the crowd, the concert goers soon went into a frenzy as everyone watched up close, from afar, or just left altogether. I wish people would stop doing things like that to test these artists. An arrest warrant will be i...

Nivea - Laundromat This is one of my favorite videos from Nivea. The song features R Kelly on vocals but he does not appear in the video. When this song was released R Kelly was embroiled in his infamous sex tape scandal. Ironically enough R Kelly was more popular than ever as this song went to #20 R&B/#51 Pop.

Merry Christmas Hello all! I am personally wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays today. Be blessed! Ciara - That's Right Finally Ciara presents her long awaited video for "That's Right". The video is very reminiscent of her "Goodies" video. Enjoy! Chris Stokes has spoken about against the claims that he molested members of B2K . Chris alleges that after he stopped supporting certain B2K members, they resorted to slandering his name with false allegations such as the molestation claims. Certainly there are two sides to a story. I'm not sure as to which I believe though at this point. I feel there is always some truth to a rumor so there you go. As expected Jay Z has resigned from his position at Def Jam. The rumors of Jay Z's dismissal or resignation as they are calling had ran rampant for awhile. Over his 3 years at Def Jam, Jay Z was responsible for the meteoric rise of such stars as NeYo and Rihanna .

Hello all! It is a rather slow news day but then again with it being around the holidays don't expect too much news unless its something really really shocking. Anyway I hope you all are having a beautiful, healthy, and prosperous holiday season. I am enjoying myself while I'm out of town. I remember saying I wouldn't be able to update much but turns out the updates keep coming. Jennifer Lopez may not be the blockbuster movie star or singing star she once was (though I never count anyone out) but she has been successful with her many fragrances and she has a new one debuting in the spring called, "Deseo". JLO's reps also puts an end to a rumor that JLO was feuding with Andy Hilfiger after her "Sweetface" line failed. Yung Joc was arrested Sunday morning at a Cleveland airport for attempting to pass through a security checkpoint with a loaded gun. No bail has been set for the Bad Boy South star but he is facing a local firearms charges and Air Pirac...

Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana This video is from Michael Jackson's 8x platinum, "Bad" album. I like this video because it features a woman (Diana) who the song is about but we never see her face. Never seeing her definitely piques your curiosity as this "Billie Jean" wants Michael for herself and no one else. Check out the creepy ending! Enjoy!

Daily Roundup: This has to possibly be the last big news story of 2007! It features former B2K member Raz B dishing the dirt on B2K, Marques Houston , and Chris Stokes . Part 1 Part 2 This goes to show "What is done in the dark will always come to light!". I am a bit surprised by all this even though the rumors have always existed. I am very interested to see how this all plays out. Ciara is playing Santa Claus this year as she urges fans to log onto her website (her MySpace) and you can download her new video, "That's Right". "That's Right" was intended to be a single from "The Evolution" album but was never released until now. Get it CiCi!

21 Questions is a take on Vibe magazine's "21 Questions" where different observations are questioned and ridiculed for its readers. I have you know I hardly read Vibe magazine unless its a person on the cover I like. If any of these questions are identical it is pure coincidental. Enjoy! 21. Where is MIMS ? 20. Will Janet Jackson finally make her huge comeback? 19. Do you think American Idol is finally starting to lose its spark? 18. Will Kanye West wild out at the Grammy's if he doesn't win? 17. Don't Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes look alike? 16. Don't you wish we would see Jada Pinkett Smith in more films? 15. Do you think she's comfortable just being Will Smith's wife? 14. What will Britney do next? 13. Aren't we ready to hear what Whitney Houston has in store for us? 12. When is "Flavor Of Love 3" coming on? 11. Was Lil' Kim dissing Remy Ma just a publicity stunt? 10. Do you think the public is being too hard on Jamie Lyn...

Daily Roundup: Toni Braxton has apparently signed to J Records. The move follows Toni's depature (and disappointment) with Blackground Records which distributed her last album, "Libra". While the album sold modestly, Braxton fell out with not only the label but former manager Barry Hankerson. Braxton has a long history of falling out with labels, business associates, and colleagues. I hope this move to J Records will be a clean slate for Braxton. Out of a lot of artists, I will say Toni is the most consistent artist out today. All her albums in my opinion are very good and strong (while some are surely stronger than others), Toni rarely disappoints when she hits the studio. Jennifer Lopez is still filming videos and releasing singles from her embarrassing, "Brave" album. The next single is the title track so look out for the video soon. I'm not mad at her for continuing to shove this album down our throats even though most swallowed it and spit it out.

From her platinum, "Back To Black" album Winehouse has already made an indelible mark on the music industry with her unapologetic demeanor and eccentric style. "Love Is A Losing Game" is like her 20th single from "Back To Black" but it is one of my favorite songs from the album and I love this video. It is a rather melancholy feel to it but it fits the song to a tee. If you haven't already check out the video! Enjoy!

Daily Roundup: Remy Ma can't make any money because the judge won't let her go overseas. She's missing out on that $30,000 to help pay that defense team who will try and keep her out of jail. And in other Remy Ma news, she has just been hit with a $10 million dollar lawsuit by her former friend who claims that Ma shot her. I don't get why these people sue people (particulary artists) for such an exaggerated amount of money knowing the said artist doesn't have that amount of money in the first place. Ja Rule and Irv Gotti took a break from trying to find Ja a hit single by letting people know the Top 5 hottest women in the biz. Ashanti's name goes without saying, Beyonce , Halle Berry , and two other women I can't remember. As I said before Irv definitely has his work cut out for him. Putting Ja back out is harder than they could both imagine I'm sure. Ashanti, as much as I love her is in the same boat. At least she has a buzz single catching on right...

Madonna - Borderline Who is the true "Queen of Pop"? It is a subject that can be debated forever. Is it Mariah , Whitney , Janet or Madonna. My bet is that Madonna would get a huge chunk of those votes. Madonna will be forever be looked upon a trendsetter in music, videos, and fashion. Take "Borderline" one of Madonna's many fabolous videos from her 80s heyday. This video brings back a lot of memories for me just personally watching VH1 and MTV as a child and this being one of the many videos I remember. Enjoy!

My good ole buddy pal Clifton told me about this funny and ridiculous video. He was nearly in an uproar about it so I had to check it out for myself. It was so amusing I had to share it all with you. Enjoy! Daily Roundup: Hello all! It is a rather slow news day today. I am updating as often as possible but after tomorrow I might not be updating daily. But I will definitely try to. Thank you who continue to support the blog and what not. It is truly appreciated. Now here's some news for the celebrity obsessed: Ice Cube says his next album will be called, "Raw Footage". He claims it will be "Unlike anything you ever heard before." You can catch Cube in the new movie, "First Sunday" in theatres January 11th. The movie co-stars Tracy Morgan , Katt Williams , and an appearance from VH1's resident diva, Tiffany "New York" Pollard . Up and coming rapper Saigon was hell bent on quitting rap but due to overwhelming responses he is not quitting ...

Hopefully the third time is the charm for Ashanti as she is releasing a 3rd single (1st single) entitled, "The Way That I Love You". The song was produced by LT Hutton (producer of Da Brat's "In Love Witchu") and has made quite a buzz online. Ashanti's long awaited oft-delayed "The Declaration" is set for release early 2008. Aww baby! Hopefully the third time is the charm for Nicole Scherzinger as she releases "Puakenikeni" as her 3rd single (1st single) for her long awaited, oft-delayed album, "Her Name Is Nicole". The single is produced by Akon and the album is set for release January 29th. News Tidbits: Remy Ma has denied claims of her being homosexual and taking part in a relationship with a said woman who claims Remy and her were ex-lovers. Rick Ross blames album clearance issues for the delay of his "Trilla" album originally scheduled Dec 18th now due Feb 19th. I just read that Monica "Ms. Thang" ...

Daily Roundup: Dame Dash is in the center of a bizarre sex lawsuit. Apparently a woman named Jamie Roberts has claimed that Dash is the reason for her succumbing to schizophrenia. She claims Dash gave her false name, Jeremy McIntyre and exposed hisself to her at a marina later instructing him to pleasure him with oral sex. The woman since claims that she hears Dash...McIntyre's voice in her head. The woman later discovered who Dash really was when she saw him on Dave Chappelle's show. Dash has denied the allegations. I'm thinking the chick was already schizo prior to these allegations! Don't you? Sounds a little far fetched to me. J Records has dropped Ruben Studdard after his last album, "The Return" barely cracked 235,000 copies. I'm really surprised about this. I feel like J Records doesn't support their urban acts like they do their more pop-friendly acts like Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson . I won't be surprised if J tries and drops ...

Daily Roundup: Hello all! I just want to take a few seconds and thank everyone who visits and supports the blog. I am going out of town for the holidays, and I won't be updating daily as the blog's description indicates. Instead I will be updating every few days or so or as often as I can. I will have to battle my nephew for the computer because he is addicted to MySpace. Britney Spears' baby sister, Jamie Lynn Spears has announced that she is PREGNANT! Say what? 16 year old Jamie Lyn Spears, start of "Zoey 101" confirmed that she is 12 weeks into her pregnancy. She also stated that the father is Casey Aldridge . Wow! I'm very shocked by this but hey it happens. Jamie seems to have her head on straight for the most part and is taking responsibility for her actions. J. Holiday is not dead. I read that he was just on TRL the othe day. Besides that fact TRL is not always "live" as it indicates so the rumor could of been true to an extent. The singer ...

You remember the group Playa ? They were responsible for the single "Cheers 2 U". If you don't remember, just google it. Anyway one-third of the trio, Static will be releasing an album through Blackground Records called "Suppertime". The album is set to be released the 2nd quarter of 2008 (April - June) and you can expect production from Timbaland , Dre & Vidal (producers, Usher "Caught Up"), and The Underdogs (producers, Marques Houston , "Naked"). If I'm not mistaken Static is responsible for many of the gems on Aaliyah's 2001 self-titled album. During a recent interview singer Jaheim was asked about the impending longevity of artists such as Rihanna and Ciara . This is what he had to say: "I don’t think they have more success than me. Some of those people you might not see next year. You never know who is on their knees doing what they have to do to get to the next step. You see, I’m not good at ass kissing." Wo...

Daily Roundup: Bow Wow sounds off on BET reporter Toure during a never before seen interview from BET's "The Black Carpet". Apparently Toure poked fun at both Omarion and Bow Wow by insinuating that O copied Chris Brown's dance moves and was in the "Naked" video (Marques Houston's video). When Toure called Bow Wow out for being on the phone, Bow Wow snapped out in a tirade against Toure. There is a horrible rumor going around that singer J. Holiday has been killed in a car crash. I'm assuming the rumor is false as none of the major urban outlets have reported this story. Earlier yesterday a friend of mine forwarded me the news but I never asked him where he get his source. I read someone say on a message board that it was announced on the radio. Sadly hoaxes like these happen with virtually every artists. 97% of the time the rumors are usually false. Let's hope this one is false! Remy Ma's ex girlfriend has come out and claimed she used t...

Daily Roundup: Will Smith proves to be the biggest box-office movie star as his "I Am Legend" movie opens at #1 at the North American Box Office with $76 million dollars. It is the biggest movie debut for the month of December. Interestingly enough a year ago Will Smith also starred in the #1 movie, "The Pursuit Of Happyness". Go Will! I was just listening to Kelly Rowland's "Daylight", and I figured what a beautiful single. I hope it does well for Kelly but it seems more suited for someone like Janet Jackson . I could hear Janet singing this for some reason. News Tidbits: Madonna's lead single from her "Licorice" album will feature Justin Timberlake on the cut "4 Minutes To Save The World" which is produced by Timberlake and Timbaland . Mary J. Blige insists that she won't chase what mainstream fans like...like Mariah Carey or Beyonce ! Do you take that as a diss? Apparently other people are. Alicia Keys has snagged t...

Winter Blast 2007 This is how it looks here in my hometown right now. I took this picture a little while ago right outside of my house. There is my poor car covered in snow. I think altogether we are going to have a total of 12 inches. Right now there may be about 5 inches so there is still more to come. I plan on going out of town but I will have to wait a few days until this mess clears up. I really wasn't looking forward to this but it is here.

Daily Roundup: It looks like the recent news of Brandy signing to Interscope Records may be a bit premature. It has been revealed that Bran is closing her deal with a record company but it is not Interscope. When all is complete I'm sure we will learn by then. I'm hoping it will be revealed very soon. I been fiending for some new Brandy music and it has been damn near 4 years since "Afrodisiac". There are rumors that Foxy Brown might be or has been dropped from Koch Records. Suddenly her name is nowhere to be found on the Koch website and the news has Fox fans in an uproar as you would imagine. I don't know what's going on though. I have read from someone that the news is not true that they are simply updating her section and the album will come out as scheduled on February 5, 2008. Whether this is true or not, only time will tell. Billboard recently published the list of the Hot 100 R&B/Hip-Hop songs of 2007 and coming in at #1 is Robin Thicke ...

Daily Roundup: Mario , already realizing his "Go" album is going to be a certified flop has moved forward with work on a new album that he will begin working on in late January. Mario talks exclusively to Billboard where he talks about have fewer collaborators and his next single is "Music For Love" even though there is a video to "Do Right". The Billboard article makes no mention of that nor does it make any mention that "Crying Out For Me" was a single. It is too bad that J dropped the ball on this record before it even came out. Mario's "Go" album is a very good album but it is no longer fresh to me since I heard the majority of it a year ago. Outrageous supermodel Janice Dickinson has a bone to pick with Tyra Banks . After since she's left (or got fired) from "America's Next Top Model", the former supermodel has had it out for Banks. During a recent interview with the "Today" show, Janice referred ...

Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately This is probably one of my favorite Janet Jackson videos. The choreography is hot, and if you look closely you will spot Paula Abdul . Abdul was responsible for a lot of Janet's early dance moves.

Daily Roundup: I have more Janet Jackson news for you all. Janet's new album is titled, Discipline and it will arrive in stores February 26, 2008! Production comes in the form of Rodney Jerkins , Jermaine Dupri , NeYo , Stargate, Tricky Stewart, and The Dream . Ooh I can't wait! I'm loving the album title as well. The song impacts January 7th and not the 8th as I indicated earlier. You can also check out the official Janet Jackson press release regarding the new album and more. Click here to see it Hot on the heels of his recent "Sit Your Ass Down Award", Ray J has signed to Koch Records. Koch Records has linked up with Ray J's Knockout Entertainment which will distribute Ray J's new album, "All I Feel". The album boasts guest appearances from The Game , Lil' Wayne , and Snoop Dogg . The first single is titled, "Sexy Can I" featuring Yung Berg . Amy Winehouse's mother has wrote a letter to the singer urging her to go to reha...

Ray J . With the explosion of his sex tape, Ray J has taken this whole sex thing further by making everything he does associated with sex. This includes albums, mixtapes, memorabilia, etc. This can and will work to his advantage and disadvantage namely the latter. While Ray J has recently surpassed his famous sister, Brandy in terms of popularity; Brandy is on her way back to reclaim her throne. Sex sells and it has definitely sold for Ray J. I just think this oversexed image isn't really him. I think he is just trying to see how far this "sex" thing will take him professionally. My bet is it will only take him far enough to pump out a few more hits! Take that how you want it! With that said Ray J sit your ass down!

Daily Roundup: As rumored earlier, Janet Jackson's new single, "Feedback" has leaked. The Rodney Jerkins produced track features a pulsating techno beat with Janet's T-Pain like vocals. It sounds like Janet is still singing about sex, perhaps that is my only problem with the song. I think the song sounds really good and I hope it is a hit for Janet. The song will go for adds on January 8th and is already receiving early airplay of course because its Janet. The video will premiere on BET the first week of January so look out for it! Keyshia Cole allegedly got into a verbal altercation with a fan that eventually turned physical and resulted in Keyshia's mother and sister getting involved in the show down. Seriously these women need to get themselves together! I was just watching the season finale of "The Way It Is', and I thought about how brave Keyshia is to air her family's dirty laundry on TV. Then for some ish like this to happen ain't even ...

Daily Roundup: Producer Scott Storch is reportedly near broke. He was once one of the most successfull and richest producers in the game but Storch has fallen off. According to rumors his credit cards were all declined and he had to pay for the round at the bar with cash. His wild splurging is due in part to his lavish lifestyle and supporting Lindsay Lohan's crack habit. Get it together Scotty! Remember Blaque ? They had hits such as "808" and "I Do". The group later disbanded after their second album failed to see the light of day. Well fast forward to 2008 and a new Blaque album is on the horizon and a TV show titled, "Blaque By Popular Demand". The group is now mentored, interestingly enough by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins of TLC who Blaque is frequently compared to. No word on when the show will air or on what network or when the new album will arrive in stores. Blaque Out! One of my favorite singers of all-time, Brandy has signed to Inte...

The 59th season of the "Making The Band" franchise premiers January 28, 2008 on MTV. This is supposedly the "Making The Band" where Danity Kane and MTB4 are living all under one roof. Expect plenty of fights and hookups! Look for MTB4's album in stores March 11th. One half of duo Outkast , Big Boi who has made a name for his self outside of Outkast will be taking the solo route with his next record which is strangely titled, "Sir Luscious Left Fott". I'm eagerly awaiting an explanation for that title. Anyway expect the first single to arrive at the beginning of '08, New Year's Eve to be exact according to Boi. Production comes from Organized Noise (producers, TLC ). The rumor is Janet Jackson's new single is to debut this weekend, Dec 15th!! The upcoming debut Island Def Jam album will be released Feb 20th overseas in Japan and I'm thinking it will be released here on Feb 19th (which is a Tuesday) since music releases are released ...

Daily Roundup: Jay Z is reportedly getting the axe from Def Jam and JD might take his spot. There had also been the long rumor of Jay Z moving over to Columbia Records to be near boo Beyonce and mentor Rick Rubin. Columbia is in bad shape and might be able to benefit from Jay since their main artist is Beyonce (from an urban standpoint anyway). Recent releases from Kelly Rowland and Amerie failed to hit or weren't released altogether. While Janet Jackson is busy wrapping up production on her upcoming debut Island Def Jam set, rumors are flying left and right about the album. Here is the latest; the album may be titled 40 Y.O. (hope not), the first single is called "No Limit On Love", Janet is reportedly filming the video soon, and the first single (not album) should be out in February so if that's true the the album will more than likely be released in April. I also read that HMV Japan is listing the album to be released on Feb 20, 2008 so there again there are s...

It's Finally Here! After numerous delays and setbacks, Mario and J Records finally releases "Go" which contain the R&B hits, "How Do I Breathe" and "Crying Out For Me". On "Go", Mario shows us that he is growing up as the title track is one of the most explicit (and possibly most explicit song) Mario has recorded thus far. The Neptunes produced single (which is my favorite) contains lines such as "just wanna fuck you like no other" definitely establish him as someone who is trying conveniently bypass Omarion and Chris Brown . I have noticed that Mario sounds a lot like Usher on a lot of the tracks. With that said, a lot of these tracks would be equally convincing had they been sung by Usher. Many of the online community feels that Mario is one of the best R&B singers out and I have to agree. Elsewhere on the album, Mario tackles the usual formulaic cliche topics that plague R&B such as heartbreak, rejection, love, pai...

Daily Roundup: Lil' Kim's new mixtape, "Ms. G.O.A.T." should be hitting the streets this week. On the mixtape, Kim references several female rappers including Lauryn Hill , MC Lyte , and Lady Rage. Kim's first ever mixtape features freestyles, new songs, and various cameos from the likes of 50 Cent who guests on "Wanna Lick". News Tidbits: Erykah Badu will release her new album, "Nu AmErykah" on Feb 26, 2008. The album will be a double disc album that will feature 18 tracks. Among those tracks is the first single, "Honey and the 2nd single is called "Solder 7". Nivea and her producer husband, Dream are getting separated. Michael Vick sentenced to 23 months in prison. Bow Wow diagnosed with appendix infection and not stress and exhaustion as reported earlier.

Random Thoughts & Tidbits: I noticed Jermaine Dupri is just signing artists left and right to Def Jam sorta like he did with Virgin Records. Unfortunately a lot of those artists came out or didn't come out and if they did come out, they weren't successful. JD has brought Janet Jackson, Jagged Edge , Rocko (Monica's baby daddy), and gawd knows who else to the label. Jagged Edge's album has already tanked and Monica's baby daddy might score a hit single. The verdict is still out on Janet as she has a lot to prove as well. I'm so sick of Nick-at-Nite just showing "Fresh Price of Bel-Air" all the time. I swear its the only show in their primetime line-up. Okay, they show "Home Improvement" too but clearly not enough. I'm a big fan of classic TV shows, and I wish to see more. I want to see shows like "Mama's Family", "Gimme A Break", "Maude", or "Soap". If you haven't heard of any of those...

Daily Roundup: Mario is finally releasing his long awaited, oft-delayed third album, "Go" on Dec 11th! Thank goodness! For a second there I didn't think this album would see the light of day. While none of the singles thus far have caught on, this album is definitely worth checking out. If you haven't heard the album already, I'm sure you can download it somewhere. Better yet you can always go out and buy it! If your not quite sold just yet just head to Mario's MySpace Page and listen to the tracks on "Go". I listened to about 45% of the new Mary J. Blige "Growing Pains" album, and it is a pretty decent affair. A lot of the songs don't stand out, and a lot of them don't offer much variation. Sometimes I can get an album and not really sit and listen to it right away. Once I do get a good listen, my verdict will possibly change but its not always warranted. I like Mary J. Blige but I feel like this new album came so soon even tho...

The "Pop" in pop music refers to popular and as popular as these bad girls are for their hits their equally popular for their bad and outrageous behavior. From drunken rages to admitted drug use to custody battles to diva showdowns, the following list documents my personal picks for "The Bad Girls of Pop Music" 6. Madonna - Consider Madonna the OG (Original Gangsta) Bad Girl of Pop for more obvious reasons than one. With her alluring, daring, and provocative persona Madonna has pimped the industry with one word: sex This has worked to her advantage and disadvantage and moreso the latter than anything since sex does sell and maybe not as much as it used to but for a time it did. Lesbian trysts, sex books, and numerous affairs makes Madonna a true bad girl of Pop music. 5 . Ashlee Simpson - When Ashlee Simpson stormed into McDonald's one night drunk and cursed out several employees, her reputation as bad girl was cemented. Before then Ashlee was a dark-haired m...