Lupe Fiasco's New Album To Debut At #1

I guess all the pushbacks and controversy has finally paid off for Lupe Fiasco as his new album, "Lasers" is set to debut at #1 next week on the Albums charts. Read below for more info on that as well as stories on Mariah Carey's lavish baby shower and Chris Brown speaking on his blond hair and sexuality.

The Chicago-born rapper—real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco—arrives with his third Atlantic Records studio album, Lasers, which will debut at #1 next week with between 220-240k in sales, the second biggest of the year next to Adele and the best start of his career.

Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, his Grammy-winning 2006 debut, bowed at #8 with 81k sold, and went on to sell 350k. His second album, the multi-Grammy-nominated Lupe Fiasco’s Cool, debuted at #15 in Dec., 2007, selling 143k, going on to a total of more than 500k.

Columbia’s Glee, Vol. 5 hits this week, with an expected sales total in the 90-100k range. This one features the gang’s mash-up of “Thriller” and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” along with versions of Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.”

RCA/RMG rocker Avril Lavigne returns with Goodbye Lullabye, her fourth studio album and first since 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, which appears headed for 85-90k

R.E.M.’s Collapse Into Now, the band’s last album under the $80 million Warner Bros. contract it inked in 1988, which many are calling a return to their classic mid-’80s form, looks to be in the 45-50k range.

Chris Brown Speaks On Dying His Hair

R&B singer Chris Brown has a busy schedule a head of him. He’s rehearsing for his upcoming tour in Australia, he has a video for “Look At Me Now” on the way and he’s prepping all the final details for the release of his fourth studio album F.A.M.E, which hits stores March 22nd.

During the midst of all his business activities, Brown is also heavily focused on his art, even recently using himself as a muse and dying his hair blond.

“I just wanted to change it up man…I was even laughing at some of the Twitter jokes. I got like Gold Dust, Amber Rose, Sisqo but you know man I just laugh; I don’t care about people’s opinion as much anymore,” Brown tells the Durtty Boyz at Atlanta’s 107.9 in a phone interview. “I feel like it’s just something I need to change. I think artistically where I’m at creatively, mentally with my project, with my art, painting and becoming a man, finding myself; I’m really just doing me. I’m being a rock star, if I wanna dye my hair purple tomorrow; it’s just all about how I’m living life and just having fun.”

Clearing up any rumors about his sexuality, Brown Says the blond look has nothing to do with any “weird extra stuff,” adding “I’m straight up strictly with the ladies.”

Switching gears, Brown is going full steam ahead to reclaim his FAME and he will not let the last two years be an interference.

“It’s about the music. Real talk, F all the bullsh*t,” says Brown. “My music is going to speak for its self and I just wanna inspire people with what I got.”

Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon Celebrate Baby Shower

The Conservatory Grill at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills was transformed into a blue-and-pink wonderland Sunday, as Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon celebrated the upcoming arrival of their twins with an elegant baby shower.

The parents-to-be arrived at 7 p.m., with Cannon, 30, behind the wheel of a black Rolls-Royce that he gave Carey, 40, as a Christmas gift. They were joined by friends including American Idol judge Randy Jackson.

The adults-only shower had a warm and romantic atmosphere with small cocktail tables that were decorated with pink roses and blue hydrangeas. (They are expecting a boy and a girl.) Pink and blue balloons also dotted the private event.

"Mariah has been anxiously awaiting her shower, and she was very excited when she arrived at the hotel," says a source. "She couldn't wait to celebrate her baby twins with her friends."

Carey and Cannon received many pink-and-blue-wrapped presents and several lavish gifts, including two almost life-size stuffed giraffes and two chairs hand-made for the twins.

Guests nibbled on gourmet appetizers and sipped Angel champagne.

"Mariah had the best time at her shower," says the source. "She was very touched by how nicely everything turned out and excited about all the generous gifts she received. She has been feeling a bit tired and worn out lately, but the shower was an event that she really enjoyed and that made her very happy. Now she can't wait to meet her baby twins!"

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