the chal banz blog

To say Motivation didn't make Kelly Rowland's star rise is an understatement. The singer is currently at work on her 4th solo album. This time Kelly Rowland will be working alongside The Neptunes(interesting), Rodney Jerkins(typical) and Da Internz(produced for Ludacris). Hopefully Kelly really gets the attention she deserves but also some really great music for this upcoming album. I do feel like Kelly gets shorted sometimes and I understand she's not Beyonce(hate to drag her into this) but I always root for the underdog and that would be Kelly.  Kelly's star has definitely risen over the last year. Kelly played the love interest in Trey Songz' video for Heart Attack . She appeared on friend LaLa's VH1 show LaLa's Full Court Life . She starred in the UK version of X Factor and she was honored by Glamour magazine for Woman Of The Year. Go Kelly! Keyshia Cole will be coming back to reality TV on the BET show Family First . The show was recently ann...

  Dondria is probably a name you haven't heard in awhile. The So So Def singer is back with a new song and video. There's a sample in the song but I can't put my finger on exactly what it is though. Anyone know?

Lil' Kim who is currently promoting her Return Of The Queen Bee Tour has also been on a radio tour in support of an upcoming book( The Price Of Loyalty ) and possible album. I say possible for many reasons since we been hearing about this impending album for years. Kim also hinted at the possibility of a tour with Missy Elliott and Eve(who both have upcoming albums of their own in the works). That would be nice if it does happen because I think we can all agree the females definitely need more unity. While her label situation remains sketchy Kim did reveal in a recent radio interview that her new single is titled Look Like Money . The song is produced by Rocwilder(worked with Janet Jackson). If you remember the single was mentioned sometime back and Rocwilder even played a brief sample during a UStream video. Kim says the new song should drop within two weeks. Hopefully this song is hot and it will follow with an album. Don't hold your breath though folks. You know fe...

So the news about BET 106 & Park hosts Terrance J and Rocsi are indeed true. Yesterday the duo announced they would be leaving the show after six years. The rumors started circulating a few weeks back about the impending status of the hosts and the show. I'm sure BET already has their replacements ready to go like they did when Free & AJ were let go.  Azealia Banks just released her 1991 EP on iTunes and the physical release will follow on June 12 I believe. If you were dissatisfied with the only 4 track EP and wanted more songs; never fear an upcoming mixtape Fantasea will be released on July 4. Previously titled Fantastic Azealia has changed the name for unknown reasons.

Pusha T has been making quite the noise with his diss track towards Lil' Wayne which has resulted in increased awareness on social networks such as Twitter. It has also warranted a response from Lil' Wayne on the track Ghoulish .

Travis Porter's debut album From Day 1 is in stores now! 

Bobby V. is coming back with a vengeance or at least I like to think he is. I always secretly root for the underdogs; those I like anyway and Bobby V. is no exception. I feel like Bobby V. makes pretty exceptional music most of the time. For his new album Dusk Till Dawn due October 2; Bobby V. is collaborating with old friend and frequent partner Lil' Wayne on the first single Mirror . The song is set to premiere Wednesday May 30. I'm still scratching my head at whose idea it was to prolong Chris Brown's new album Fortune . The album due July 3 has just seen its tracklisting revealed which comes in Standard and Deluxe edition like most albums these days. Chris has already had enough hit singles to release the album now but oh well. Peep the tracklisting below:  1. “Turn Up the Music” 2. “Bassline” 3. “Till I Die” feat. Big Sean & Wiz Khalifa 4. “Mirage” feat. Nas 5. “Don’t Judge Me” 6. “2012” 7. “Biggest Fan” 8. “Sweet Love” 9. “Strip” feat. Kevin McCa...

<p>ff</p>

Kaleena formerly of Dirty Money fame releases the latest video and single from her mixtape Chamber Of Diaries .

Mary J. Blige's charity is more TAKE than give ... this according to a bank which claims it lent the foundation $250,000 ... but only got $400 back. TMZ has learned ... the Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now is being sued by TD Bank over a $250k loan it took out back in June 2011. According to a suit filed earlier this month in New York, the foundation agreed to pay the money back by December 2011, but when the time came to collect ... the org. had only put a $368.33 dent into the principal. The bank claims it has demanded payment in writing on February 7 and 29, but hasn't heard back from the foundation. This lawsuit isn't the only troubles with which the foundation is dealing. It didn't file a federal tax return for 2010 .. so says the NY Post, and it's also being sued by musicians from a 2011 fundraising gala who claim when it came time for payment they were stiffed. A rep for Blige tells TMZ, "The Mary J...

Bow Wow must be just putting out singles and videos in the hopes that one of his songs may catch on. So far nothing has caught on and I personally haven't liked anything I heard from Bow in awhile.  Bow Wow's upcoming album Underrated ; his first for Cash Money/Young Money currently has no release date that I'm aware of. The album has been pushed back more times than I can count. Maybe he needs to do what everyone else is doing and just put out an EP for now then concentrate on that album. I'm just saying!

Daughters is the lead single from Nas' upcoming album Life Is Good . Last I read the album was slated to be released in July. The video features Nas' real life daughter Destiny whose name he has tattooed on his arm. Nas' ex Carmen Bryant(who wrote a juicy tell all years ago) spoke out against the song and the message when the song was first leaked.

  Don't Mind is the 4th single(and 5th video) to be released from Mary J. Blige's Gold album My Life II: The Journey Continues . To date the album has sold roughly over 600,000 copies. Some may recognize the melody here from the Burger King commercial that Mary did and was later banned. Personally I think Don't Mind is one of the many standouts on My Life II . 

Big Boi is returning with a new album titled Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors . While there is no release date for the new album collaborations with Big K.R.I.T. and UGK are a definite go. I like the album title Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors . It sounds like the title of a good book that I would read.  As for Outkast an upcoming project continues to be on the back burner. Andre 3000 is currently hard at work working on the Jimi Hendrix biopic.  106 & Park 's Terrance J reportedly already has a new job lined up on the E! network. The VJ did a guest run on E! News shows alongside one of the co-hosts.  As reported earlier Terrance J and co-star Rocsi are said to be receiving their walking papers. Rocsi already has a new job of being Eddie Murphy's girlfriend. *Wink* 

So the word is that 106 & Park host who has a reputation of sleeping around has hooked up with actor Eddie Murphy. The two have been seen out and about holding hands and driving around in Eddie's Mercedes Benz.  Over the years Rocsi has been linked to actress' LisaRaye McCoy of Single Ladies fame ex-husband, several G-Unit members, and many others according to 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks. The above mentioned artists all on different occasions publicly blasted Rocsi.  In other Rocsi news its been reported that her and her co-host Terrance J are getting the boot from BET. Word is the network is doing some spring cleaning and wants to renew their signature show. This comes on the heels of news that BET's other hit show The Game would return for 5th or 6th season(not sure what season their on) without stars Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall.   J. Cole who is currently on tour with Drake on the Club Paradise tour is currently in the stages of completing his second album....

Raz B is a strange little man. Raz B has been trying to out Chris Stokes on child-molestation charges for the longest through internets outcrys or through magazines interviews. First he made YouTube videos talking about the issue, then he made a phone call to Ray J & recorded confession, and now he is writing a tell-all book. Oh lord, if this book is full of lies this will only make Raz look like the bigger fool. The makings of a MAJOR scandal, Oh No They Didn't! reports: So last week we were told about B2k member releasing a tell-all entitled, This Boy’s Life, released through Corona Sky Productions. Well now we have excerpts, Raz hold nothing back and outs some of your favorite R&B hip hop singers. On B2K: “There were no girls; there were no breaks, and absolutely NO meat. Our diet was so strict that I remember passing out during rehearsals because of our heavily restricted diet.” “...Me and Boog (Jarell Houston, known as J. Boog) resisted ...

  Chris Brown is insuring his newest album Fortune will be a success particularly by the light speed rate of singles and videos being released. Sweet Love serves as the album's second Urban single and video. By the time the album's July 3 album release date arrives I'm pretty sure we will have heard the whole album.

  I had read about the whispers that Fantasia would appear on the season finale of American Idol . So when I was on Twitter last night I saw her trending and I figured it was because of her Idol appearance and low and behold it was.  Here Fantasia duets with 3rd runner up Joshua Ledet on a cover of Elton John's Take Me To The Pilot . To say Joshua and Fantasia brought the house down is an understatement. They definitely had everyone on their feet while Joshua and Fantasia(in typical fashion) screamed to the top of their lungs.  People were up in arms(on Twitter) about Fantasia's weight gain and her choice of wardrobe. I was surprised too but Fantasia has never been known for her style anyway.

T-Boz might be forced to travel in the passenger side of her best friend's ride ... 'cause Honda is gunning to repossess the singer's car. TMZ has learned .. Tionne Watkins is being sued by Honda for failing to make payments on her 2005 Honda Odyssey. In the lawsuit, filed in Georgia, Honda asks the judge for the green light to take the car back. It's unclear how much T-Boz owes in back payments. It's just the latest in a string of financial woes for the 42-year-old singer-- she filed for bankruptcy back in 2011 ... but failed to complete the required paperwork ... and lost the protection bankruptcy provides. In other words, there's NOTHING stopping T-Boz's creditors from coming after all of her possessions.

  Wiz Khalifa releases the debut single and video for his upcoming album O.N.I.F.C. in stores and online August 28.

  Shake It Off was the third single from Mariah Carey's 2005 5x Platinum selling album The Emancipation Of Mimi . The song was produced by Jermaine Dupri who appears in the video along with Mariah's good friend Da Brat.  Mariah Carey has been in the studio working on a new album for quite some time now. There is no word on when a new album will be released. 

  The Self Made Vol. 2 album will be in stores and online June 26. 

A friend and I were discussing Alicia Keys and how she always pops up at an awards show paying tribute to said artists. It's not necessarily a bad thing but there are other artists to can be used in tributes. Anyway Alicia Keys is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on a new album that will be released in the coming months.  For the new album she worked with frequent collaborator Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Pop & Oak(produced for Nicki Minaj), and husband Swizz Beats.  I can't say I'm surprised that Swizz Beats is a part of the project.   Speaking of new albums Maxwell is poised to return with a new album sometime this Summer. His first single is titled Of All Kind so be sure to look out for that when it hits. 

While her new single Put It Down featuring Chris Brown has yet to fully impact Brandy is poised to release her new album Two Eleven on August 7.  For the upcoming album Brandy collaborated with Bangladesh(song: Put It Down ), Frank Ocean(song: Scared Of Beautiful ), Ester Dean, and Sean Garrett(song: Sick ). A joint tour with Monica was in the works but it may or may not happen now after the failure of the single It All Belongs To Me . Still I think both singers could benefit from touring with each other. But what do I know?  Today BET announced the nominations for the 2012 BET Awards which will air on July 1. The telecast usually broadcasts at the end of June. Samuel L. Jackson will serve as the host. Now that should be interesting.  Beyonce and Kanye West lead the nominations. Below I provided a link where you can view the full nominee list. You ready for the BET Awards?  http://www.rap-up.com/2012/05/22/bet-awards-12-nominations/

4 Letter Word is the fourth single(I believe) from Diggy's debut album Unexpected Arrival . He premiered the video earlier today on BET's 106 & Park . Diggy is nominated for a BET Award(which was revealed today) for Best New Artist.

Undastatement appears on 2 Chainz mixtape T.R.U. REALigion . His Def Jam debut Based On A T.R.U. Story will be in stores and online August 14.  The rapper appears on the new single and video for rapper Kreayshawn's video for Breakfast(Syrup) . Recently he has appeared on songs by everyone from Young Jeezy to Nicki Minaj.  The rapper made headlines today after getting arrested after it was discovered he was carrying Brass Knuckles. 

  Kevin McCall is best known for his collaborations with Chris Brown on songs like Strip and Dueces . Now the singer has released his new video and single featuring Big Sean. The video was directed by his buddy Chris Brown.

Ashanti has been pretty quiet on following up with a new single after The Woman You Love featuring Busta Rhymes only managed to peak at #59 on the R&B charts. Well word is that a new single is in the works and should be released within the next two weeks.  Ashanti's upcoming album Braveheart is said to be released on August 28. We'll see about that! Whatever the next single is it needs to be big and if Ashanti is going to feature someone maybe someone like Drake would be fitting. With the rumored Cash Money/Young Money ties what do you have to lose?   Ludacris is set to return with a new album Ludaversal as well as the album's first single Jingalin' . The song was produced by Da Internz(produced Big Sean's Dance(A$$) . The song is said to go to iTunes at the end of the month. There is no release date for the new album as of yet but stay tuned. 

  Just a few days ago Kreayshawn released her new single Breakfast(Syrup) featuring 2 Chainz and now the video has been released. Kreayshawn directed the video.  Breakfast(Syrup) serves as the first single to Kreayshawn's upcoming album Somethin 'Bout Kreay in stores and online August 14. 

I watched the first two hours of last night's 2012 Billboard Music Awards and it was a complete snooze fest. I was literally bored just waiting for 10 p.m. to watch something more entertaining. Anywho I did forget about the Whitney Houston tribute but shortly before the tribute there was some drama brewing in the audience. Read more below:   Ray J was almost physically removed from the Billboard Music Awards last night after angry members of Whitney Houston's family ordered their security to get him away from them ... TMZ has learned. Pat Houston's blood was boiling because she, Bobbi Kristina and other family members were seated next to Ray J, the person Pat believes was a very bad influence on Whitney. Minutes before the tribute to Whitney, Pat asked her security to remove Ray J from his seat, but he refused to budge. Our sources say ... Pat's security summoned hotel security, along with several uniformed officers to physically remove Ray J. Just before pu...

  In a perfect world Usher would of performed his hit single Climax but instead we're treated to his newest Pop single Scream .  Usher will release his new album Looking 4 Myself on June 12.

  I've said this time and time again but once you've seen one live Chris Brown performance you've seen them all. This performance really didn't differentiate from any of his more recent performances.  Turn Up The Music appears on Chris Brown's upcoming album release Fortune in stores and online July 3.

Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge (from DeBarge) has filed for divorce ... TMZ has learned. Chico filed the papers in L.A. County Superior Court against his wife Andrea DeBarge, citing "irreconcilable differences." According to the docs, the couple was married in 1996 and separated in 2005. It's unclear why the divorce took so long. They have four children -- but here's the interesting part ... Chico wants NO custody whatsoever, simply asking for visitation rights. Two of the children were born before the marriage, and by the looks of the papers, Chico's not convinced they're all his -- because he's also asking to take a paternity test to prove he's the daddy ... that is, before he starts shelling out child support. Calls to Andrea weren't returned.   http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/19/chico-debarge-divorce/

Game is back with a new album F.I.V.E . and the title track serves as the album's first single. The song features Chris Brown & Lil' Wayne. Can't go wrong there right? The producer of the song revealed that the song should be released around Memorial Day. Who knew Game was coming back out with a new album so soon?  Miguel is reportedly working on a new album after releasing a slew of mixtapes. Recently the singer has worked with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Talib Kweli, and Diplo(producer for Usher's Climax ).  Speaking of Pharrell one of his old production duties included assisting Kelis who plans on making a return in July with a new single titled Distance . The untitled album is said to follow in the Fall. There is not much else to reveal at this point besides the fact that the song will be released in the UK first.  I'm a fan of Kelis but she lost me with the last album. I need Urban Kelis back and then I will be happy! 

  Neither David Banner or Chris Brown makes a physical appearance in this video but it doesn't stop this video from being somewhat interesting nonetheless. This is the debut video and single from David Banner's new album Sex, Drugs, and Violence out May 22. Who knew the release date was so close? I seen absolutely no promo for this album. I wonder is David indie now?

Kreayshawn will release her debut album through Columbia Records Somethin' Bout Kreay . There is no release date for the album but you can look forward to the video of her new single Breakfast featuring 2 Chainz on May 21. Elsewhere on the upcoming album Kreay collaborated with White Girl Mob member V-Nasty(who has also collaborated with Gucci Mane), Kid Cudi, and Diplo(produced Usher's Climax ).  I was thinking someone like Kreayshawn would of had a more interesting album title than Somethin' Bout Kreay . I have noticed the whole "Somethin 'Bout..." album title continues to be a popular album title amongst rappers over the years.  50 Cent has revealed that he will be working alongside Cam'ron in a series of movies and mixtapes. What brought the two together is beyond me but I'll take it! You can look forward to their upcoming collaboration early next month. A tribute ain't complete without Alicia Keys and she will be taking part in a tribut...

  Nicki Minaj was one of the many subjects discussed in Lil' Kim's exclusive interview with the infamous radio show The Breakfast Club . Though if you only want to hear Lil' Kim discuss Nicki Minaj you can go straight to part two of the video. There she gives her side of the beef and breaks down the whole origin of how it all started. Elsewhere in the interview Lil' Kim speaks on Foxy Brown, Ms. Wallace, Biggie, Faith Evans, Azealia Banks, and more. Nothing against Lil' Kim but once you've heard one Lil' Kim interview you've heard them all.

Some of you who follow the blog regularly may be tired of me talking about Azealia Banks and just to let you know I don't plan to let up soon. The up and coming rapper has chosen a release date of July 4 for her Fantastic mixtape which features the recently released single Jumanji . Her debut album Broke With Expensive Taste is expected in the Fall.  I really like how things are falling in place for Azealia. She has really been grinding and all the hard work is starting pay off.  VH1 may have their hands full with the Basketball Wives franchise and all the backlash but get ready for Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta . The new show which is a spinoff of the already popular Love & Hip Hop series will premiere on VH1 June 18. The cast includes Lil' Scrappy, Rasheeda, K. Michelle, and producer Stevie J among others.  I know that I will likely be watching because I already watch a lot of VH1 shows anyway and I like to think of myself as a self-proclaimed reality TV jun...

I was surprised to log online today and discover that Disco Queen Donna Summer had passed away at age 63. The singer was reportedly battling cancer and kept her sickness private. I was reading up on Donna's last days and read that she appeared on BRAVO's Platinum Hit show and appeared to be in good spirits.  Donna was known for such hits as She Works Hard For The Money, Bad Girls, I Feel Love , and Love To Love You Baby (which has been sampled by the likes of Beyonce( Naughty Girl ) and TLC( I'm Good At Being Bad ). R.I.P.  There have been some stories which have been unconfirmed about singer/actress Raven Symone coming out of the closet. Reportedly the star is shacking up with one of the contestants from the past season of America's Next Top Model. The story was trending on twitter and like everyone else I'm a little shocked. In interviews when Raven was asked about her personal life she would never speak on it. 

  Well that's the word according to mentor T.I. Read more below to get the full scoop:  Iggy Azalea announced that she had signed a deal with Interscope Records earlier this year, but it may have been premature. According to her Grand Hustle boss T.I., the Aussie rapper is still unsigned.   “Iggy is a free agent,” Tip told Bu Thiam, VP of A&R at Def Jam, on “MTV’s Hip Hop POV.” The blonde bombshell had touted a deal with Interscope and a summer release for her debut album The New Classic. “Interscope, if you were wondering,” she tweeted in January. “Get used to me + jimmy [iovine] smashing shit, cause thats the plan.” According to sources, a deal was never actually in place. However, she did release the T.I.-assisted “Murda Bizness,” which was billed as the lead single off the album. The Hustle Gang member is currently in talks with other labels including Def Jam. Her EP Glory is due this month featuring collaborations with Mike Posner, B.o.B, and Bi...

Love IV MMXII will arrive on August 14, he announced via Twitter. The follow-up to 2010’s Love King features the single “ROC” as well as collaborations with Mary J. Blige (“Divine”) and Gucci Mane (“Paid”). The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter channels R. Kelly on “Foreplay,” takes thinly-veiled shots at his R&B counterparts on “Talk That Shit,” and owns up to his flaws on “Ya’ll.” “LOVE IV is the BEST Album I’ve made,” he tweeted. “I don’t care what the sales will be. I will do my best to Challenge your Taste And Knowledge. I will Leave no Holes in this Album Period, no room to be Hated only Adored or simply just say ‘you don’t fuck with me’ but what U won’t say is Dream Album is Mediocre or Sucks.” Last year, The-Dream released his free album 1977 under his birth name Terius Nash. It featured appearances from Pharrell, Big Sean, and his Radio Killa Records signee Casha.

  I was fortunate enough to catch the premiere of Right By My Side earlier via 106 & Park and if I wasn't on my way out the house I would of posted this video earlier.    Though Right By My Side is like the 11th video released from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded its easily one of the better videos to be released by Nicki this era. What makes the video more interesting is the appearance as Nas as Nicki's love interest and their chemistry dominates and even overshadows Chris Brown's brief appearance. All in all a very good video and one of my favorites from Nicki.

T.I. has proposed September 4 as the release date for his new album Trouble Man which includes the single Love This Life . T.I. will collaborate with Usher & Trey Songz among others. In other T.I. news VH1 has renewed his reality show T.I. & Tiny: A Family Business for a second season and that will premiere September 3.   I don't normally keep up with artists birthday's but I came across something today and it noted that today was Janet Jackson's birthday! Happy 46th Birthday to the iconic and legendary Janet Jackson. As reported earlier the singer is in the early stages of planning a new album and has some movie deals in the works with Lionsgate film studios(who housed her role in Why Did I Get Married ). 

Jennifer Lopez reportedly may or may not return for another season of American Idol . The diva explains that the schedule ties her down and makes it virtually impossible to do anything else. In this case money talks. I bet if they offer her more money than what Britney Spears is receiving(15 million for X Factor ) she may reconsider. With Britney over on X Factor she is now the highest paid music judge on TV edging her one time rival Christina Aguilera.  The way I see it J-LO and American Idol both need each other. J-LO's music career wouldn't have had a resurgence if it weren't for her role on Idol. Though ratings are down for Idol this year its still a perfect vehicle for J-LO who obviously doesn't plan on retiring from being a singer anytime soon.  Ne-Yo is back with a new album R.E.D. (not sure what the acronym is for yet) which will be in stores and online September 18. The album's first single Lazy Love recently leaked out.  Ne-Yo jumped ship from Isla...

  Tamia is back with a new album and new single Beautiful Surprise and she takes us viewers behind the scenes as she shoots the video for the title track. The album is slated to be in stores this July.

  R. Kelly does something he rarely does; takes viewers behind the scenes as he poses for a series of pictures for his upcoming album Write Me Back in stores and online June 19.  R. Kelly recently released the new single Feelin' Single . 

  Not only does 2 Chainz and Kreayshawn collaborate on Murder but Breakfast the new single from Kreayshawn's debut album Something About Kreay .  I was starting to wonder what happened to Kreayshawn. She had the Gucci Gucci song which did moderately well and then she just disappeared. 

Azealia Banks has been gushing about her upcoming EP 1991 for quite some time and now the artwork has been released.  Oddly enough Azealia's rival Iggy Azealea is releasing her own EP titled Glory . Dare I say these two are easily becoming the next Foxy Brown & Lil' Kim and I say that more so because of the rivalry. I will say Azealia is the one that kind of keeps up the feud while Iggy only speaks on certain things when necessary.  Both ladies are working diligently on EP's, mixtapes, and their own debut albums. Coincidentally both ladies are signed to Interscope Records. 

Brandy's new album Two Eleven (or 2/11) finally has a release date of July 24. Don't hold your breath though because the release date may be subject to change like all R&B/Hip Hop releases. Brandy's new single Put It Down featuring Chris Brown was recently released. Not only does Chris Brown feature on Put It Down but also co-wrote another song Slower to be included on the new album.  Other production comes in the from of Frank Ocean(song: Scared Of Beautiful ), Ester Dean, Rico Love(song: It All Belongs To Me ), Bangladesh(song: Put It Down ) Sean Garrett(song: Sick ) and more. Someone who is not a stranger to controversy is one of my new favorite artists; Azealia Banks. She will release her new EP 1991 on June 12. The EP will feature the underground hit 212 as well as the title track.  A new mixtape Fantastic will arrive later this summer and her debut album Broke With Expensive Taste will arrive in the Fall.  Speaking of new albums Janet Jackson is said t...

After appearing on Usher's newest song Lemme See ; Usher has returned the favor as he guests on Rick Ross' new single Touch'N You from the upcoming album God Forgives I Don't in stores and online July 31.

Don't hold your breath but Nicki Minaj is supposed to release the music video for her current single Right By My Side featuring Chris Brown. I say don't hold your breath because of Nicki's snail pace at releasing her videos especially this era.  The rapper recently posted a picture of herself and Chris Brown on the set of the video. Speaking of Chris Brown the singer recently filmed the video for his single Till I Die featuring Big Sean & Wiz Khalifa. A day or so ago he leaked out yet another single Don't Wake Me Up .  I think its safe to say we would have heard Chris Brown's entire album Fortune before it hits the shelves and online retailers on July 3.  Teyana Taylor has signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label which is through Island Def Jam Records. A new album release is slated for later this year.  Angie Stone has just released a new song Do What You Gotta Do . It is the first single from her upcoming album Rich Girl which is slated to b...

Shawnna has been making the rounds as she promotes her upcoming mixtape/album She's Alive which is scheduled to be released on May 24. With all the upcoming collaborations the the project is likely to be pushed back. In the video above Shawnna speaks on the various collaborations we can look forward to including but not limited to Jim Jones, Jadakiss, Missy Elliott, and Styles P.

After a six years hiatus from all New York stages, R&B veteran R. Kelly will return to the city to headline the annual "Groovin In The Park" concert at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens on July 1, 2012. “Fans are hyped and ready for an extraordinary performance from the Rhythm & Blues legend who will be returning to New York for his first performance since his ‘Best of Both Worlds’ concert with Jay Z in 2004,” said event CEO Christopher Roberts, of Groovin Inc. “R Kelly represents the best of R&B and I am confident he will deliver a spectacular performance for music lovers.” Joining R. Kelly for the monumental performance will be Grammy award winning R&B vocal group Boyz 11 Men, one of the most successful groups of all time, and International music legend Jimmy Cliff. In addition, R Kelly, Boyz 11 Men and Jimmy Cliff will share the stage with reggae’s lovers rock king Beres Hammond, whose stellar career was launched in the 70's with the release of ...

  R. Kelly had everyone bopping and singing along to his hit song Feeling On Yo Booty . While the subject matter of the song was what we have come expect from R. Kelly; the cameos in the video were just as interesting. Cameos include Method Man, Redman, Nelly, Lil' Kim, Fat Joe, and more.  It's really hard to believe this song was released 12 years ago. Time surely does fly by. 

  Two Up is the fourth single from Diggy's debut album Unexpected Arrival in stores and online now.

R. Kelly has pushed back the release of his new album Write Me Back to June 19. The current single Share My Love has been #1 on the Urban AC charts for several weeks. A new single Feelin' Single just leaked out and is being served as the second single.  From what I read before though it was stated that R. Kelly was releasing two albums this year the second being Black Panties and that Feelin' Single was from that album. Who knows.   Trey Songz is gearing up for the release of his new album Chapter V in stores and online June 26. The album may be pushed back since Trey insists that he is still recording. He did however reveal what features to expect on the album including Kelly Rowland, T.I.(appears on a song titled 2 Reasons ), J. Cole, Big Sean, Lil' Wayne, and more.  The R&B albums are becoming more and more feature oriented. By the sound of those features it sounds like Trey may be doing some rapping on this album. You never know. Trey did start o...

  Bow Wow takes us behind the scenes as he films the video for his new single Better featuring T-Pain. It is from his upcoming album Underrated which is due out sometime soon.

  Nicki Minaj appeared on Ellen yesterday May 10 and performed a medley of singles.  In a separate interview Nicki talked about why she closed down her Twitter which she really didn't give much explanation to. She talked about her explicit lyrics and her younger fanbase offering that like many explicit albums they also come in a clean version.  Nicki's newest album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded has sold 436,000 copies to date meanwhile single Starships has sold 2 million copies. 

Mixtapes are all the rage now especially as a precursor to an upcoming album or project. Shawnna is back to prove that female rap is back and here to stay. Shawnna speaks about her upcoming mixtape She's Alive , some deals in the works, and her love for all female rappers.

  Charli Baltimore is back with a new album True Lies and a new single All Lies featuring Maino. Here the Philly rapper talks about her upcoming mixtape and her relationship with Biggie.

Azealia Banks will be dropping her long awaited EP 1991 (the year she was born) soon and the first single Jumanji is said to be released with Friday. In addition to that an untitled mixtape will be released this Summer followed by debut album Broke With Expensive Taste to follow in the Fall.  Former American Idol album Leah Labelle is back in the spotlight thanks to her new single Sexify produced by Pharrell Williams. Besides Pharrell, Jermaine Dupri and L.A. Reid will handle production duties on Leah's untitled debut album on Epic/So So Def Records.  Leah has kept her name out there by doing mostly cover songs from a variety of artists and posting them on YouTube in addition to some background work for Eric Benet and Keri Hilson.  Andre 3000 is playing legend Jimi Hendrix in a new biopic that will begin shooting shortly. The rapper is currently overseas to being shooting the movie. 

Okay was the first single from Nivea's second album Complicated which was primarily produced by then husband The-Dream who was a budding producer at the time.  Nivea's been pretty quiet on the music scene lately sans a few covers of some songs including Sade's The Sweetest Taboo . Over the years Nivea has became known as the baby mama of both The-Dream and Lil' Wayne.  With both producers having money that's pretty long no wonder why Nivea has been so hell bent on a music career. 

VH1 plans to tribute Whitney Houston as part of their VH1 Divas festivities this December. The show is still in its early stages and no one has been tapped to appear or perform.  We can see Whitney Houston in her last movie role Sparkle in theaters this August. The accompanying soundtrack includes production from The Underdogs(worked with Marques Houston) and R. Kelly.  Speaking of tributes another legend is being paid tribute to: Stevie Wonder. The Billboard Music Awards which will air later this month will honor the legend. No word on who exactly will honor the singer.  We know nowadays its always a big deal as to who will honor or tribute a singer; dead or alive. Usually it seems like the programmers never quite pick the right people or its always the same people like Alicia Keys. 

R. Kelly is back with yet another single It's On featuring DJ Khaled & Ace Hood from his upcoming album Black Panties . The album had been mentioned previously but I just figured R. Kelly opted to release his Write Me Back album which he is still releasing. So that means two separate R. Kelly albums this year. No word yet on when to expect Black Panties .

Chris Brown appeared and performed last night on ABC's Dancing With The Stars to perform his hit single Turn Up The Music .

Mary J. Blige finally releases the video to her new single Why featuring Rick Ross. It is the third single from her Gold album My Life II: The Journey Continues .  Mary J. Blige recently gave a rousing rendition of The National Anthem at this years Kentucky Derby. 

Hot on the heels of his reunion tour with group New Edition Bobby Brown is back with a new album The Masterpiece which will be released on June 5. To promote the album Bobby Brown will make several high profile appearances on Ellen, The Wendy Williams Show, and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno just to name a few. The album's first single is Don't Let Me Die.  Tank's new album This Is Who I Am is in stores today. The album features the singles Compliments and Next Breath . Tank is set to appear on The Wendy Williams Show (if I'm not mistaken) and appear on VH1's new season of Single Ladies . 

Hot off the heels of her SNL performance Rihanna will perform on the season finale of American Idol .  Flo Rida will release his new album Wild Ones on July 3. Flo Rida also guests on Waka Flocka's new album Triple F Life on a track that also features Nicki Minaj.  Monica took a break from promoting her own new album New Life to plug buddy and frequent collaborator Missy Elliott who is working on a new album. The rumored album titled Block Party is set to be released sometime this Summer. Missy is working with Timbaland among other producers. The album has been pretty shrouded in mystery so who knows what to expect. Fellow female rapper Azealia Banks said on twitter she collaborated with Missy but I'm sure of who's album that collaboration will appear on. 

Rapper G. Dep will spend at least 15 years in prison after being convicted of a 1993 New York killing. The case was reopened when he went to police to say he'd shot someone years earlier. The 37-year-old rapper got the minimum sentence Tuesday for his April murder conviction: 15 years to life. He went to a police station in December 2010 to say he'd fired at someone trying to rob him on a street corner when he was 17 to 19 years old. Authorities paired his account with the 1993 death of John Henkel. At trial, his lawyer questioned whether police made the right match. Born Trevell Coleman , G. Dep got attention with "Special Delivery" and "Let's Get It" in the early 2000s.

R&B singer/songwriter Tank is joining the cast of VH1's hit scripted series 'Single Ladies." Following his role in The Preacher's Kid and Lifetime's The Protector, Tank will make a guest appearance during the second season kicking off May 28. "I didn't kiss nobody. Somebody's gonna give me a kiss," Tank told Sister 2 Sister when speaking of the guest role. Tank joins T.I., Romeo (Miller), William Levy and Pilar Sanders who will also make guest appearances on Single Ladies this Summer. While Tank has "Single Ladies" in the bag, he is looking forward to more roles and a tour in support of the soon to be released album "This Is How I Feel." "Since we have the time and we have everything working in our favor on the music side, I'mma take this time and take full advantage of everything. When I say everything, I mean everything," Tank says in the May 2012 issue of Sister 2 Sister. "We finally have a ...

Producers at "SNL"(that's Saturday Night Live for you folks who don't know) were or are fuming at Rihanna for missing dress rehearsal which is done prior to the live telecast of the show. Rihanna and her team informed producers that she was sick and wouldn't be able to make it. Once Rihanna arrived; she appeared to be in good standing physically which irritated producers and staffers. Well at the least the girl showed up and did her performances. I guess the big thing here is that no one ever misses dress rehearsal but there's always an exception to the rule. New female rapper Azealia Banks is at it again! This time she has spoken out against Lil' Kim and her team after a failed collaboration. Azealia Banks revealed last week or so on twitter that Lil' Kim DM(direct message for those who are not on twitter) her. Shortly afterwards Azealia was singing her praises like most new female rappers do until Lil' Kim pisses them off in some way. About a...

Nicki Minaj's Pepsi commercial has been in the works for awhile and now the commercial in extended form has been released. Check it out!

Mary J. gives a nice rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Kentucky Derby. Check it out! There had been a little controversy regarding Mary's appearance and her singing of the anthem prior to the event but Mary silenced the haters. Way to go!

Lil' Kim just added more concert dates for her upcoming concert tour; "Return Of The Queen Bee"(I think that's the name of it). The rapper has also been in the studio working diligently on a new album to be released very soon...hopefully. So far several names have been attached to Lil' Kim's upcoming album including Guyana, French Montana, Wale, Ryan Leslie, and Young Jeezy(who appears on the leaked track; "Keys To The City". The song "Countin' Money" recently leaked out! Trey Songz has confirmed a release date for his new album; "Chapter V" which will be in stores and online June 26. A week before that will see the release of R. Kelly's new album; "Write Me Back" which features the hit single; "Share My Love". July 10 will see the release of a new album from Tamia entitled; "Beautiful Surprise".

A few days ago Trey Songz teased us with a clip for the video of "Heart Attack" and now the video has been released in full. While rumors of Trey and Kelly Rowland[who guest stars in the video] dating; there seems to be a lack of chemistry to me. Their chemistry was as awkward as it was when they performed the medley of "Motivation" at the BET Awards. When Trey leaned in to kiss Kelly; she kinda moved away. Anyway the song; "Heart Attack" is doing very well on both the Pop & R&B charts. The song was produced by Rico Love and is the first single from the upcoming album; "Chapter V" in stores and online soon.

With a new single; "Put It Down" featuring Chris Brown brewing Brandy is covering multiple magazine covers including Ebony and now Upscale. The singer's upcoming album; "Two Eleven" will be released this Summer with appearances and production from Frank Ocean, Timbaland, Sean Garrett, and more.

"Everything" was one of the many singles from Mary J. Blige's 4x platinum album; "Share My World" released in 1997. It is actually one of my favorite albums in Mary's catalog and one of my favorites of all time.

Nicki Minaj is one of the many artists who will take part in New York's Hot 97 Summer Jam which will also feature performances from Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, French Montana, Waka Flocka, Trey Songz, Big Sean, J. Cole, Tyga, and a host of others. Nicki Minaj is also embarking on a 14 city tour in support of her most recent album; "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" which has sold 415,000 copies to date. D'Angelo is returning to the stage marking 10 years since he last graced the stage in the US. The singer will take part in the Essence Music Festival festivities which will be held in New Orleans on July 6 to July 8. Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz, and Aretha Franklin are also on the bill. D'Angelo will debut his new single; "Sugar Daddy"[at the Essence Music Festival] and is currently working on a new album.

Usher unveils the cover art for his new album; "Looking 4 Myself" in stores and online June 12. The album will be available in standard and deluxe editions and the cover that your seeing is the standard I believe and the deluxe is in color. I'm not sure how I feel about the album cover or even the music on this album. When I heard "Scream" and "Lemme See" featuring Rick Ross; my anticipation for this album went down the drain. Check out the tracklisting below:   Official Tracklisting: 1. Can't Stop Won't Stop 2. Scream 3. Climax 4. I Care For U 5. Show Me 6. Lemme See (feat. Rick Ross) 7. Twisted (feat. Pharrell) 8. Dive 9. What Happened To U 10. Looking 4 Myself (feat. Luke Steele) 11. Numb 12. Lessons For The Lover 13. Sins Of My Father 14. Euphoria DELUXE EDITION ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING FOUR TRACKS: 15. I.F.U. 16. Say The Words 17. 2nd Round 18. Hot Thing

With news of Omarion signing to Maybach Music Group; Omarion releases some special behind the scenes footage for the upcoming video to his first single; "Lets Talk" featuring Rick Ross. What I wanna know is "Where is Teedra Moses?" and when is her album coming out? I don't think people are anticipating Omarion like that. He needs to come with some heat or else he will flop!

With a new album on the horizon; Keyshia Cole is headed back to the reality TV realm with a new show. Read more about it below: R&B singer Keyshia Cole and her family are headed back to BET this fall for a six part series called "Family First." We've seen cameras following Keyshia around for a long time this go around, and unlike the first series, we will get to see a new side of Keyshia. Now, she's a wife to NBA baller Daniel Gibson, and a mother to their son DJ. And while she's still working on getting out her music, we should get appearances from other family members, like momma Frankie! Don't we all need a little Frankie in our lives? We also will finally see footage from that dream Hawaiian wedding. of Keyshia & Boobie's. "Family First" is executive produced by James DuBose of DuBose Entertainment, Michele Barnwell, Keyshia Cole and Daniel Gibson.

Omarion is the latest signee to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. The move obviously comes as a shock to everyone including myself. I'm not mad at it though but what is pretty puzzling is that Omarion reportedly changed his name to Maybach O or is that a joke? Either way the artist formerly known as Omarion has been seeking a deal for awhile after his brief stint with Young Money. How will Omarion fare with Maybach Music? We will have to wait and listen. A new single featuring Rick Ross titled; "Let's See" is said to drop very soon as will several other releases from artists such as Meek Mill. There was a rumor that Shawnna was signing to Maybach Music as well but that hasn't been reported. In other Maybach Music news; Rick Ross finally revealed a release date for his album; "God Forgives I Don't" which will drop this July. Ross explained that the delay simply stemmed from perfecting the album's material. Nothing wrong with that right? Wo...

Just when you thought the Monica & Brandy domination stopped at their single; "It All Belongs To Me"; the two ladies grace the June issue of EBONY magazine. The two ladies look absolutely magnificent. Brandy recently released her new single; "Put It Down" and it will be available on iTunes on May 8. Meanwhile Monica just released her new single; "Without You".

Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Linkin Park and Nelly Furtado have just been confirmed to perform at this year's Billboard Music Awards, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas May 20, on ABC. Clarkson, Usher, Linkin Park and Furtado join the list of previously announced performers including Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Carrie Underwood, LMFAO and The Wanted. Chart-toppers Adele, Rihanna, LMFAO, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne are the top nominated artists of the night, with Adele taking the lead as a finalist in 18 award categories.    http://www.etonline.com/news/121319_EXCLUSIVE_Kelly_Clarkson_Usher_to_Perform_at_2012_Billboard_Awards/

The new video and single from his upcoming album; "Triple F Life" in stores and online June 12.

If you haven't heard the new single; "Put It Down" from Brandy featuring Chris Brown; you don't know what your missing. The song has been in my head pretty much since it leaked last week. The song is the first single from Brandy's upcoming album; "Two Eleven" in stores and online this Summer. Rumor is that Brandy's second single is reported to be a ballad produced by Mario Winans. Sounds interesting but I hope its not the same ole same ole we get from Mario even though I usually like his production work. Tyga who is currently riding high with his hit single; "Faded" featuring Lil' Wayne is about to embark on a tour overseas in addition to collaborating with Chris Brown on "Fan Of Fan 2" mixtape. Tyga and Chris hopes to make this mixtape more of an album. In other Tyga news he will be expanding his clothing line Last Kings. The rapper appeared last night on BET's "106 & Park". A video for the song; ...

I think this is the first song I've heard from Akon in awhile unless I've been hiding under a rock. This is the first single and video to Akon's upcoming album; "Stadium" due September 11.