the chal banz blog

We all know Nas as a highly outspoken and controversial rapper. He is married to singer Kelis. Nas recently revealed that he and Kelis were expecting a baby boy. It is the first child for Kelis and the second for Nas(he has also has a daughter named Destiny). Nas' most recent albums, "Untitled" and "Hip Hop Is Dead" has sparked numerous debates. Leave it to Nas to have rap fans and music critics in an uproar. It is his outspoken nature that keeps Nas on the minds of many. Below you will find a list of people commonly associated with Nas. The aforementioned Kelis is here and a few other people. Check it out! Jay-Z Once arch rivals, Jay-Z and Nas had become friends and business partners(so to speak). Jay-Z oversaw and appeared on Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" album. Kelis Nas' marriage to Kelis is one you don't hear about often and should be glad you don't. The low-profile hardly makes any appearances out unless it is at an award event. The happ...

Water company Crystal Geyser has paired up with none other than Beyonce to film a commercial in Japan! Check it out! Video: Beyonce Commercial Music Biz: Kelly Rowland Leaves Columbia Records! NEW YORK, March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----The Grammy-winning R&B/pop superstar Kelly Rowland will no longer be recording with Columbia Records as a solo artist, it was officially announced today by the label. Rowland, a founding member of Destiny's Child, the world's top-selling female group, will continue her relationship with Columbia Records in her ongoing role in the iconic ensemble. I am really glad to finally see Kelly taking control of her career. First letting go of Mathew Knowles and finally Columbia Records, great move Kelly! Timbaland Sues Record Label! Timbaland is going after his record label, Blackground Records, claiming they didn't utter a peep when he first decided to make his move from "performer" to "producer." But then things got ...

Jadakiss will release his new album, "The Last Kiss" on April 7. You can check out a newly leaked song from the rapper below! Audio: Jadakiss feat Styles P - One More Step

Hello all! I'm back again with another 'six degrees of..' post and this time I decide to profile Monica. Perhaps she is best known for her stunning duet with Brandy, "The Boy Is Mine" which ironically is the title of Monica's 2nd album. Like her counterpart Brandy, Monica's personal life often overshadows her music, especially in recent years. With her oft-delayed album, "Still Standing" on the horizon, Monica is ready to remind listeners why we first fell in love with her in the first place. I decided to change the format slightly as far as the 'six degrees of...' posts go. Instead of just concentrating on celebs the featured artist is often associated with, I will also include names that may of been recently linked to the featured artist. So for example you will see that the production duo of Stargate is mentioned and is because they are producing on her upcoming album. Brandy There had been rumors or Brandy and Monica disliking each ot...

Rodney Jerkins, the producer behind many of Brandy's hits talks about the performance of her "Human" album. As most now the album wasn't a huge success and fell off the album charts after just 14 weeks. Check out what the producer had to say! Video: Rodney Jerkins Interview Rodney is definitely full of himself and it just eats me up to watch this video. I had to cut it off.

Lil' Kim is riding high by starring on the current season of "Dancing With The Stars". Not content on resting on her new found reality TV fame, the musical titan returns to her first love; music. The singer recently shot a video for her new single, "Download" featuring T-Pain & Charlie Wilson. Take a look behind the scenes of the video and find out what happened to T-Pain! Video: Lil' Kim - Download[Behind The Scenes] I'm actually starting to like "Download". *runs to find the song* :-)

Ashanti has been chosen as the new spokesperson for a new line of fragrance for the Johnson Body Wash company. So as you would expect Ashanti has been a small media blitz. Check out this exclusive interview with the star below! Video: Ashanti Interview I'm glad to hear Ashanti is working on a new album. "The Declaration" was sadly overlooked.

Mario is back with yet another newly leaked song! Check it out! Audio: Mario - Ooh Baby I'm starting to think Mario's new album will be coming out sooner than we think. Mario's songs are leaking at an alarming rate. It is actually somewhat scary. Sadly this album will be just like "Go" where half the album if not all was heard prior to its release. Audio: Mario - Broken Heart This song reminds me of Mary J. Blige's "Come To Me" from her "Growing Pains" album. Video: OJ Da Juiceman feat Gucci Mane - Make Da Trap Say Ay

Rodney Jerkins is a pretty decent producer. I would say his late 90s work rivals his work today. Here, the outspoken producer talks about Beyonce, Keri Hilson, 50 Cent, and Rick Ross among other things. Check it out! Video: Rodney Jerkins Interview Rodney Jerkins really irks me. He is so full of himself and he constantly kisses Beyonce's ass every chance he gets. Music Biz: Ludacris, Shawnna Get 'Drunk' On New Single! Let's get ready to rumble! Ludacris is ready to face off with his friend and fellow Disturbing Tha Peace colleague Shawnna.The album is slated for a summer release, but the duo have already released a song from the project called "Drunk as Fuck." The pair created over 30 songs, and Luda smiled when asked if Shawnna — acknowledged as one of the deadliest female MCs in the game — tries to kill him with her bars on each track. I'm eager to hear this album and mainly only for Shawnna's sake. I think she is very talented and hugely overrated. ...

Teena Marie returns with a new album, "Congo Square" on June 9. Below you can check out her new single below! Audio: Teena Marie feat Faith Evans - Can't Last A Day I like this song. It's pretty cool. I can see Urban AC eating this up and maybe Grammy...is that too much of a stretch? Ha! Mario will release his upcoming album, "And Then There Was Me" very soon. Below you can check out his latest leaked song. Produced by Jim Jonsin[worked with Trina]. Audio: Mario - Get Out From his upcoming album, "And Then There Was Me", check out Mario's latest leaked song. Produced by Dre & Vidal[worked with Usher] Audio: Mario - Late Night Based on this song and the one above("Get Out"), Mario has adapted an electronica sound complete with retro-Neptunes ish production and classic video game sound effects. Cool!

LeToya Luckett has a new album, "Lady Love" set to be in stores on June 16. The former Destiny's Child singer talks exclusively to blogger B. Scott in this interesting interview. You can check it out below! Video: LeToya Talks To B. Scott It is possible that Ne-Yo just might release a new album later this year or next. The singer/songwriter usually wastes no time releasing new material. Below you can check out his latest leaked song. Audio: Ne-Yo - To Be Continued As you have may of saw me say before Ne-Yo has so many leaked songs out. Some of them may appear on an upcoming album or may be demos for other artists. Perhaps Polow Da Don's cocky nature has rubbed off on Keri Hilson. The singer/songwriter had to do some damage control once her remix of "Turnin Me On" came out. People made such a big deal about it. Video: Keri Hilson Addresses The Haters Whatever buzz Keri was trying to get she somewhat shot herself in the foot. It was a publicity stunt that actu...

Formerly signed to Def Jam, we saw Teairra Mari's star fade and labelmate, Rihanna's rise. Not one to be outdone, Teairra has striked back with a new label deal on Interscope. Below you can check out a new joint from her upcoming album, "At That Point" in stores soon. Audio: Teairra Mari feat Nicki Minaj - Automatic Music Biz: Teairra Makes A 'Point' With New Album! Teairra Mari will release her new album, "At That Point" on April 7 though I see that being changed though. The album is lead by the singles, "Hunt 4 U" featuring Pleasure P and "Cause A Scene" featuring Flo Rida. Other collaborations come in the form of Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Rick Ross! Sounds interesting. I hope it is as good as the collaboration list sounds. Teairra's first album was so hyped up but ultimately was a huge letdown. Ciara's 'Love' Makes Huge Impact! There is big debate about Ciara's "Love Sex Magic" video swagger jac...

Hello all! I want to thank everyone for checking out my blog and their continued support. It really means a lot. It takes a lot to run this blog. Sometimes there can be such an overwhelming amount of music news. I try and make sure I bring the latest in R&B/Hip-Hop music news, audio, gossip, commentary, etc. I hope you enjoy the blog. Please leave comments and let me know what you think at anytime. Tonight I posted some new songs and I will be honest. They are not the greatest by any means(in my opinion). Maybe you all will find them a better listen than me. Then again I can be a rather hard critic on music. You are hereby authorized to check out these new songs. Enjoy! He recently deaded his beef with T.I. I thought he deaded it awhile back. Anyway Shawty Lo returns to the music scene this time with the newest go to hook girl herself; Mya. Check it out below! Audio: Shawty Lo feat Mya - About My B.I. I thought this was Gucci Mane at first with all the 'yeaaas' and what not...

Beyonce finally will star in a movie where she doesn't play a singer. In her newest film, "Obsessed" Beyonce stars as a woman who's family and life is threatened by a psychotic temp. The premise is not original by any means. It is simply an updating of classic movies such as "Fatal Attraction". Below you can check out an exclusive featurette on "Obsessed". Video: Obsessed Featurette "Obsessed" will be in theaters April 24. The movie looks pretty good but it looks like a lot of other similarly themed suspense movies. The movie really reminds me of another not so well known movie by the name of "The Temp". It is about a temp who becomes obsessed with a man when he refuses her advances.

The infamous duo known as Method Man & Redman has struck again! This time the duo is assisted by the southern based group UGK. Below you can check out the new song! Audio: Method Man, Redman & UGK - City Lights

Since Cam'ron has finally come out of hiding, his name has been a hot topic among his fellow ex-Dipset comrades. Now Jim Jones who recently released his new album, "Pray 4 Reign" talks Cam'ron and a whole of other junk. Audio: Jim Jones Interview

I remember Game announcing his retirement only to be lured back into the game in typical rapper fashion. The rapper is currently working on his fourth album due to be released sometime soon. I figured I'd switch it up a little this time and profile someone other than a R&B singer. We all know The Game! He is perhaps best known for his beef with 50 Cent. Quite a way to be known right? Well check out the list of people who Game is often associated with. And you guessed it 50 Cent will be mentioned a few more times. 50 Cent Game's arch nemesis! These two have traded (rap) bars over the years. Currently the beef is in hibernation but it is often awaken. 50 Cent is currently grilling Rick Ross right now so Game is probably the least of his worries. Dr. Dre You couldn't listen to Game's first album, "The Documentary" or countless interviews without hearing the rapper mention his mentor. The two had a little falling out which I'm a little unclear about whethe...

Lil' Kim is still complaining about her portrayal in the "Notorious" movie. Frankly I'm sick of hearing about it. Get over it! Below you can check out a recent interview with the feisty rapper! Video: Lil' Kim Interview I didn't watch this video. I don't think I can stomach it. It seems like Lil' Kim is complaining to anybody who will listen. Remember Babs from Da Band? She was the feisty outspoken female rapper signed to Bad Boy. Now she strikes again with a new solo joint and video. You can check it out below! Video: Babs Bunny - Odds & Evens I have always liked Babs so its nice to see her out doing her thing. I don't know where this song is from. I don't even know about a new album on the horizon. Babs' debut "The Warrior" was set to be released awhile back but her contract with Bad Boy fell through. It's probably a lot better she is no longer on Bad Boy anyway. She probably wouldn't of ever produced an album and if...

I don't know what Yung Joc is doing but he does occasionally leak a new song every now and then. Whatever he is doing, he is doing it right. Last year Joc made the list of the top paid rappers. It was a huge surprise considering he is a Bad Boy artist. You know how a lot of the artists have money problems over there. Check out the newest song from Joc below! Audio: Yung Joc feat Lil' Jon - Where The Hoes At Ray J is riding high with his hit reality show, "For The Love of Ray J". Now the singer plans to cash in on that success by releasing his latest single and video from the soundtrack to the TV show. Check it out! Video: Ray J - Sexy Ladies

The Black Eyed Peas returns with a new album, "The E.N.D." due June 1. Check out this exclusive promo pic from the famed quartet. I don't think I'm liking Fergie's new hair style. It makes her look older to me than again she's always looked older. There is certainly no shortage of leaked Mario songs in existence. Below you can check out his latest song. Audio: Mario - Afraid To Cry(Hardest Moments) There is no word yet on Mario's upcoming album. I'm assuming though the majority of these leaked songs will appear on Mario's upcoming album. Like his counterpart Mario, Ne-Yo has just as many leaked songs in existence if not more. Below you can check out the newest addition to his ever growing catalog. Produced by Tricky Stewart! Audio: Ne-Yo - Bite You If you have heard one Ne-Yo song you have heard them all. Every once in awhile Ne-Yo manages to surprise me but not much.

Hello all! I'm not sure how many of you remember my "Six Degrees Of..." posts I used to do. I was doing a few of them for a time. I realized I hadn't done one in awhile so I decided to do one tonight. I thought it would be cool too also to give a slight break from the multiple audio posts. Tonight's(or this mornings) featured artist is Ashanti. You either love or hate her. She's known for her multiple hit singles and cool personality. Below are listed six names of people who are often associated with the famed singer. Check it out! Beyonce She is considered Ashanti's rival. The comparisons started when Ashanti and Beyonce released their perspective albums a week apart. To this day Ashanti denies any beef with Beyonce. Interviewers never bother to ask Beyonce about Ashanti probably because they feel it is pointless to ask. If you ever see the two in pictures together they are never side by side. Funny heh? Irv Gotti He is the mastermind behind Ashanti's...

Juelz Santana returns with a new track! You can check it out below! Audio: Juelz Santana - Shake That Ass For Daddy This song along with Juelz Santana is beyond wack. I think there is only one song I like from Juelz and that is "Clockwork". I think he is somewhat overrated and I don't see or hear anything special about him. He's corny!

You can currently check them out in their hit MTV show, "Making The Band" now in its 85th season. Check out the newest leaked single from Day 26. Audio: Day 26 - Reminds Me Of You I'm actually liking this song.

Ludacris and Shawnna promised us a new single from their upcoming, "Battle Of The Sexes" album and without further a due its here. You can check it out below! Audio: Ludacris & Shawnna - Everybody Drunk As Fuck The song is cool. It might take a few more listens for me to really like it though.

Keri Hilson finally releases her new album, 'In A Perfect World' this week so as expected the singer has been all over the place. Following up on the success of 'Turnin Me On' Keri releases her newest video. You can check it out below! Video: Keri Hilson feat Kanye West & Ne-Yo - Knock You Down I like this song and the video is cool.

There is never a shortage of leaked Ne-Yo songs. Below you can check out his latest addition to his ever-growing musical catalog. Audio: Ne-Yo - It Just Makes Sense A decent track. A lot better than a lot of the other recently leaked tracks by him.

After several false starts Monica delivers us her new single! It is from her upcoming album, "Still Standing" in stores soon. You can check it out below! Audio: Monica - Once In A Lifetime I was on the fence about this song at first. Now after listening to it a second time its not bad after all.

He may of gotten off to a false start last year but Marques Houston is back! You can check out his official new single below! It's from his upcoming album, "Mr. Houston" in stores June 23. Audio: Marques Houston feat Jim Jones - I Love Her Marques is one of my favorites. His return is definitely a welcome return for me. I really liked his last two albums and I hope this one is no different. By the way I'm loving the new song and I can seeing it reaching the upper echelons of the R&B charts(at least).

If there is an award for 'steamy video of the year' this one would definitely be in the ranking. From his newest album, "Love & Life". Check it out! Video: Eric Benet - Chocolate Legs Chocolate Legs @ Yahoo! Video

Producer Polow Da Don is perhaps one of the most controversial producers we have met in recent years. He is type to sometimes(or always)speak out of turn and later has to do some damage control. Check out this video to hear his latest shocking statement(if you want to consider it that). Video: Polow Da Don, Keri Hilson Talk New Album I like Polow Da Don but he can be way too cocky. A lot of his songs in recent years have all sounded the same. I remember at first Polow had such a universal sound that one minute he could produce for Fergie and the next Ciara and we couldn't tell the difference. Now we can!

Its the song and video that has message boards buzzing. Check out this exclusive behind the scenes clip of Ciara's new video, "Love Sex Magic". Video: Ciara, Justin Timberlake - Love Sex Magic[behind the scenes] Wow! Ciara is really doing it up! I can't wait to see the video. It premieres Monday March 23 on AOL and VirginMobile(if I'm not mistaken). This also has me excited for Ciara's new album. I have noticed in recent weeks that Ciara is slowly becoming a style icon. I'm loving her style as of late.

Ugh! I could only stomach so much of this video(which is usually the case with most videos anyway). Rapper(or whatever you wanna call him) Kid Cudi takes the stage and performs. Video: Kid Cudi On His Retirement Kid Cudi has a huge buzz right now thanks in part to his hit single, "Day N Nite". The rapper also appears on Kanye Wests' "808s & Heartbreak" album on "Welcome To Heartbreak" which is actually one of my favorite songs. I'm not a big fan of Cudi's though I do like "Day N Nite" somewhat. I just feel like some of these new artists try too hard to be different when they really are no different than a lot of other artists. Cassie is back with yet another leaked song. This time the songstress teams up with Pharrell. You can check out an exclusive snippet of the song below. Audio: Cassie - High[snippet] I need to hear a HQ version of the song before I give my final verdict on it. As much as I love The Neptunes a lot of their rec...

Keri Hilson will finally release her long awaited album, "In A Perfect World" on March 24. Now on the heels of the release, a new track has leaked from the singer/songwriter. You can check it out below! Audio: Keri Hilson - Quicksand When I first saw this I thought this was the same song from Ryan Leslie who released a song called, "Quicksand" as well. After listening to this one I will say the other "Quicksand" is much better. This one is not bad. It actually makes me think of something Aaliyah would of recorded some years ago.

Ciara is ready to take us on that "Fantasy Ride" she was sposed to take us on last year. Now set for a May 5 release date, check out a preview of Ciara's newest video, "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake. Video: Ciara feat Justin Timberlake - Love Sex Magic Wow this video preview and the screen caps I saw from this looks very hot! I'm excited to see the video in full. I think this will definitely be on my years end list for 'best videos of '09'. Punch CiCi!

It has been in talks for quite awhile. Now without further adue Ludacris and Shawnna talk about their long-awaited "Battle Of The Sexes" album. Check it out! Video: Ludacris, Shawnna Talk New Album! Luda and Shawnna Talk Battle of the Sexes from DTP TV on Vimeo . Music Biz: Lyfe Plans New Album, Label! R&B singer Lyfe Jennings has been granted a new lease on life with not only a deal for his own record label, but a fresh outlook with new management. Jennings, known for the critically acclaimed debut album "268-192" and songs like "Must Be Nice," "S.E.X." and "Never Never Land," has struck an unprecedented deal to distribute music through his own label "Jesus Swings" at Warner Brothers. In addition to being granted control over his music at Jesus Swings/Warner Bros., Jennings has enlisted help from Manny Hailey, who has successfully guided the career of chart-topping singer Keyshia Cole ("The Way It Is"). Lyfe J...

You can't get any hotter than The-Dream. Check out his newest collaboration with labelmate Fabolous. Produced by Tricky Stewart! Audio: Fabolous feat The-Dream - Throw It In The Bag Music Biz: 50 Cent Talks Two New Album! "What they don't know ... the new announcement is that I'm dropping two albums," Fif smiled. "I've had an opportunity to record since I thought I was releasing an album in December. But the portion of my record that I recorded with Dr. Dre was incomplete, because there was no opportunity to mix it. The only song that was mixed that I worked on with Dr. Dre is 'I Get It In' — that one is out now. It's cool, but I need the rest of them to be mixed before I can present my project to the public." Fif projects Before I Self Destruct will drop in June, after Eminem's Relapse hits stores on May 19 — and 50's second album will come one month after Em's second album, according to the current game plan. I wish 50 would...

Check out this new promo pic of LeToya! The former Destiny's Child singer will release her new album, "Lady Love" on May 19. The album is proceeded by first single, "Not Anymore" written by Ne-Yo. Collaborations are said to include Rodney Jerkins among others. I'm having a slight brain freeze right now. I was going to include some other producers but my mind has gone blank. Actually there are lot of producers attached to this project. We will just have to wait and see which producers actually make the cut. Like many others I enjoyed the last album. Unfortunately many of the tracks leaked out before the album. So by the time I actually got the real retail version of the album I got tired of it pretty quick. I did like how she switched up some of the songs though once the retail version was released. With his new album, "A Man's Thoughts" on the horizon, Ginuwine takes viewers behind the scenes of his new album. Check it out! Video: Ginuwine New ...

With a new album, "Lady Love" on the horizon, LeToya Luckett sits down and grants us an exclusive radio interview. Comes in two parts. Check them out below! Video: LeToya Interview Part 1 of 2 This is supposed to be a two part interview but right now only one part of it is showing. If I am able to get the other half going I will post it. I love LeToya. I love her style and her personality. Unfortunately I'm not won over by her lead single, "Not Anymore" so therefore I'm not as excited about her album as I wanted to be. I will still check for the album and hope that the rest is better than this weak lead single. The Def Jam quintet hit big with their BET reality show, "Brutha" now check out the group as they release their newest (single) video! Video: Brutha - She's Gone Hip-Hop and R&B's most talked about couple visits L.A.'s radio host Big Boy to talk about Milian's new album, her relationship with Dream, and more. Check it out...

Remember rapper Amil? She was the cartoon voiced rapstress who was down with Jay-Z's Roc-a-fella. She released her debut, "All Money Is Legal" in 2000(I believe). The album's main single was the song, "I Got That" which is featured below in video form. The song features Beyonce in one of her few collaborative efforts. Of course this was before Beyonce was the superstar she is today. Check it out! Video: Amil feat Beyonce - I Got That What ever became of Amil? Who knows. I guess she has faded into obscurity like many female rappers before her and after her. Maybe she might make a comeback. Everyone loves a good comeback. I mean she never exactly set the world on fire. But in terms of female rap its anybody's game right now.

NOTE: This poll was closed prematurely but it has since been reopened to allow more votes. If you don't see the update right away give it a few minutes. Thanks! It's a battle of the Christina's. In corner 1 is Christina Milian. We know her as the girl next door who occasionally gets raunchy. In corner 2 is Christina Aguilera. We know her as the controversial and outspoken pop siren. The common factor these two have in common is their first name. So who do you prefer more? Milian's light sweet soprano or Aguilera's fiery, strong assertive soprano? Sound off in the newest poll below! I have the results from the last poll I ran. Last time I asked readers who they preferred between Solange and LeToya[Luckett]. Check out the results below! letoya 64% both 20% solange 12% neither 4%

Flo Rida is riding high with his #1 single, "Right Round". Now the Florida rapper appears on the latest issue of Billboard magazine. The rapper has frequently earned comparisons to Nelly but to be honest I don't understand those comparisons. Anyway you can check out the track listing to his new album, "R.O.O.T.S." in stores March 31. 1. Finally Here 2. Jump feat. Nelly Furtado 3. Gotta Get It (Dancer) 4. Shone feat. Pleasure P 5. Right Round 6. R.O.O.T.S. 7. Be On You feat. Ne-Yo 8. Mind On My Money 9. Available feat. Akon 10. Touch Me 11. Never 12. Sugar feat. Wynter 13. Rewind feat. Wyclef Jean Music Biz: T.I. Grabs Quadruple Platinum Single Honors! Hip Hop chart-topper T.I. is going out with a bang as two of his hit singles have been certified Platinum, not just once... but four times! The "Paper Trail" star's massive singles "Live Your Life" and "Dead and Gone," featuring Rihanna and Justin Timberlake respectively, were reco...

50 Cent is keeping his beef with Rick Ross alive and well. If I were Rick Ross I'd use this beef to benefit my career. I think Rick is getting the memo. A few songs from the rapper has recently leaked. He also appears on the newest issue of XXL magazine. In this shockingly explicit video, 50 Cent exposes Rick Ross' baby mother by leaking out a sex tape of the mother in action with an unknown man. Check it out! Video: 50 Cent Exposes Rick Ross' Baby Mother This is crazy! After seeing this I definitely wasn't expecting to see all this. What is even funnier is 50 Cent adding his commentary through the tape. It's a no holds barred

Seven long years has passed since Brandy released "Full Moon". It was somewhat of a departure from her previous two albums. Here the tracks contained much more instrumentation and were more upbeat. Many labeled the album "electronic". The album featured Brandy's signature trademark ad-libs. The singles were the title track, "What About Us", and "He Is". Brandy was pregnant during the making of this album. Her pregnancy was documented in MTV's "Special Delivery". At the time Brandy's personal life started to overshadow her music and resulted in the album only going platinum. Many consider "Full Moon" as Brandy's best album. Some of my personal highlights include: Anybody Full Moon All In Me When You Touch Me

The-Dream sits down with Angie Martinez to discuss his new album, beef, and of course....Christina Milian. Check it out! Video: The-Dream Interview With a new album, "A Man's Thoughts" on the horizon, Ginuwine talks to Sister2Sister's Jamie Foster-Brown about the industry, marriage, and those LisaRaye rumors. Video: Ginuwine Interview If you don't know the story rumors surfaced that Ginuwine was messing around with LisaRaye[of the movie "The Players Club"] since plays the love interest in his new video. Everybody has something to say about Rihanna and Chris Brown. I'm truly tired of hearing about it but I believe it won't go away soon. Check out what Lil' Kim has to say about it as well as her own personal situations. Video: Lil' Kim Speaks On Rihanna & Chris Brown

Beyonce does it again and this time she does it on the cover of Vogue magazine. Beyonce being on the cover of Vogue is a pretty big thing! The American version of the magazine rarely lets black women grace their cover. If they do its usually alongside a white model. I'm surprised Beyonce is on the cover then again I am not. If anybody would get the cover it would be her for a variety of reasons. Too many to name here. Anyway this is a good look for her and this adds to the dozen of magazine covers Beyonce has graced this era and prior to this. You may remember Teyana Taylor from MTV's "Sweet 16" series! If not she is the pint-sized rapper signed to Star Trak and her debut album, "From A Planet Called Harlem" should be surfacing sometime this year. Check out the rapstress as she talks about music, fashion, and much more. Video: Teyana Taylor Interview Cloudkicker TV: Emilio Sparks interviews Teyana Taylor from CloudKickers on Vimeo . Teyana mentioned how sh...

Do you remember rapper Sole'? Before she was married to Ginuwine, she managed to score a few rap hits. One of those hits in particular is the featured video, "4,5,6". The single was featured on her debut album, "Skin Deep". Not only was this song and video memorable so was the album cover. It featured Sole' adorned in silver paint in several erotic poses. It was definitely unlike anything I had seen at the time even though singer Sade did a similar thing with gold paint for her "Love Deluxe" album. Check out the vid! Throwback Video: Sole' feat JT Money & Kandi of Xscape I really miss Sole'! She was a hot rapstress and I think she had a lot of potential had she continued on. It seems as if Sole' has settled into married life while husband Ginuwine is embarking on a comeback this year. I remember my sister saying Sole' ought to make a comeback too. Why not? It's not like its many female rappers in existence anyway. As much as...

I was starting to think we'd never see this day. What day? The day that Ciara's album cover for "Fantasy Ride" would be released. The oft-delayed album has suffered more pushbacks and false starts than Ashanti's "The Declaration". Now with new single, "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake impacting this song is just the hit Ciara needs to get this album off the ground. I am looking forward to hearing this album especially after all the delays. I hope it is good. I'm not too hot about the album cover. I think I was expecting something a little more like everyone else but that's fine. "Fantasy Ride" features collaborations from Young Jeezy, T-Pain, Polow Da Don, The-Dream, and more. The album will now be in stores on May 5. Fresh from his beef with 50 Cent, Rick Ross leaks out another track this time with assistant from labelmate The-Dream. Check it out below! Audio: Rick Ross feat The-Dream - I Really Want That Dream sou...

Yesterday I posted a video up of Diddy and Cassie in the studio mixing Cassie's new single, "This Must Be Love". Now today here is the official single in full! Check it out! Audio: Cassie feat Diddy - This Must Be Love The song is pretty good. It certainly does catch that essence of Bad Boy circa 1994. I read that Day 26 originally recorded this song too. For some reason Jim Jones is always having a problem as of lately. If he's not cursing out security guards, he's into it with Jay-Z's friend. Check out this exclusive footage of the Diplomat lieutenant acting a damn fool for the cameras! Video: Jim Jones Flips Out Jones' upcoming album, "Pray IV Reign" will be in stores soon. An upset Saigon lashes out on former record companies all the while promoting his latest endeavors. Check it out! Video: Saigon Speaks Out If your unfamiliar with Saigon he starred in HBO's "Entourage" show and he had a beef with Joe Budden not too lon...

Cassie returns with a new single entitled, "Must Be Love" which features Diddy. Check out the singer and her mentor as they attempt to recreate Bad Boy magic circa 1994. Video: Diddy and Cassie Unveil New Single Diddy is such a show off. He was definitely feeling the heck out of the song. Cassie didn't seem so into it or maybe she was just being shy. The song doesn't sound that bad and it does remind me slightly of Bad Boy circa 1994. Music Biz: Brandy Plans New Single! I was convinced that Brandy and her label Epic were pretty much done with her "Human" album. Well now it turns out that Brandy will release "Fall" as her album's 3rd single. The accompanying video is said to tie in with Brandy's collaboration with John Legend entitled, "Quickly" which will be Legend's next single. I am hoping the new single and the press from "Quickly" will add some much needed attention to Brandy's "Human" album. The a...

With his new album, "Love vs Money" in stores now Dream is virtually all over the place. Below you can check out Dream as he talks about music, his new album, and much more. Check it out! Video: The-Dream Interview Music Biz: Chris Brown and Rihanna are not only back together, but they’ve reportedly already hit the studio and recorded a duet. According to TMZ, the hip-pop couple snuck in some “late night” sessions with Polow Da Don, who produced their previous collaboration “Bad Girl.” An insider says the sessions were “very, very emotional…the feeling in the room was pure love.” They were “playfully touching each other.”The song was originally written for Rihanna before the fight, but Polow believed the track, which supposedly deals with overcoming the hardships of a relationship, would be the perfect duet. Keri Hilson has chosen "Knock You Down" featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo as her album's 3rd single. Meanwhile Beyonce has chosen, "Ego" and "...

Wow! This is truly a throwback joint. Remember Silkk The Shocker? He was the baby brother of music mogul Master P. Many considered him to be a better rapper than brothers Master P and C-Murder. He may of been a better rapper but Silkk could never quite rhyme on beat. He always rhymed ahead of the beat but nonetheless the managed to squeeze out a few hits in his heyday. One of Silkk's most memorable and most commercial hits(in my opinion) is "That's Cool" which features Trina. Below you can check out this icy cold video set somewhere in the mountains at a resort. Throwback Video: Silkk The Shocker feat Trina - That's Cool

Keyshia Cole hits up the "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to perform her current hit single. Check it out! Video: Keyshia Cole - You Complete Me Live Keyshia Cole - Jay Leno Show - 3/10/2009 Uploaded by 3030fm While visiting the Ellen show Diddy is grilled by the host for his involvement in the Chris Brown & Rihanna debacle. If you were unaware of the story, Diddy lent his house out to the troubled pair after their fight to reconcile. Video: Diddy on Ellen Degeneres Video: Z-Ro feat Mya - I'm Tired