the chal banz blog

Mariah Carey is leaving American Idol! Surprised? Well not really. It had been speculated for the last few weeks that all the current judges were either leaving or getting fired. First Randy Jackson confirmed he was leaving followed by Nicki Minaj. Now Mariah is leaving and as far as Keith Urban is concerned he'll probably just get the boot! It has been confirmed that Jennifer Hudson(former contestant on American Idol ) will be a judge on Season 14 of the ill fated reality show. Speaking of reality shows...TV One will be launching the new installment of R&B Divas with R&B Divas LA . The show will premiere on July 10 and feature Kelly Price, Dawn Robinson(of En Vogue), Michel'e(song: Something In My Heart), Lil' Mo, Chante Moore, and Claudette Ortiz(of City High). Ready for the drama? Make sure you tune in! While we are on the subject of divas...Rihanna has reason to celebrate! Her latest album Unapologetic just recently went Platinum. Unapologetic is her sixth s...

The One is the newest single and video from Tamar Braxton. Her album Love & War will be in stores this Fall.

You've had to have been hiding under a rock to not see Beyonce's new H&M ads plastered all over TV and beyond. Reportedly the singer was upset when H&M tried to photoshop her pictures and make her appear less curvy. Apparently Beyonce never approved the photoshopped pictures and H&M was forced to go with the originals(which is what you see today). Beyonce is mad because H&M tried to photoshop her curves but not upset when the makeup giants like L'oreal lighten her skin to the point she looks white. Odd! Tamar Braxton is mad at another reality TV star, Mariah Huq of Bravo's Married To Medicine. Mariah has become known on the show for her "gay lingo" which is also used and was made more famous by Tamar. Tamar took to Twitter to air out the copying going on. The situation was instigated by Bravo host man Andy Cohen during the Married To Medicine reunion. Tamar is not the first or the last person to use such phrases as she uses. I know she originat...

Kelly Rowland performs one of her new songs This Is Love live from her new album Talk A Good Game in stores and online June 18.

Download I think is the last big hit for Lil' Kim. Many thought the rapper was returning with a new album with the release of Download . The song was simply being released so Kim could get out of a nasty contract she was in and things haven't been right since.

Brandy hooks up with Jessie J. The singer known for her hit single Price Tag revealed the news exclusively in the UK. We all know Brandy is no stranger to collaborations having collaborated with artists like Kanye West, John Legend, Ginuwine, and more throughout the years. Catch Brandy in the new season of The Game on BET when it returns on July 2. Speaking of BET...its cousin VH1's star Lil' Scrappy of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta is checking into a rehab facility. Scrappy has had a couple of run ins within the last few months primarily during the LHHATL's run on TV. Will the star be strong enough to beat his addiction to weed? I guess we will have to wait and see. Sad news to report...Andre 3000's mother was found dead in her home. There is not much more information to report at this time but prayers are with Andre 3000 and his family. Very sad indeed!

Kelly Rowland breaks down! It was during a concert a day or so ago when she was performing her new hit single Dirty Laundry. The song which immediately drew a lot of controversy deals with an abused relationship and her feelings over Beyonce. Beyonce appears on Kelly Rowland's new album along with Michelle[Williams] on a track titled You Changed (which leaked out today). Nicki Minaj is back in the studio working on her third album. She says this album will be more "Hip Hop" than her last offering. While Nicki doesn't regret anything she's done in the past she's ready to tap back to Urban roots. I certainly can't be mad at her about that. I think she lost people with the last album. Yes, it was a success but many still longed for the old Hip Hop/mixtape Nicki. In other news... I was browsing some of the music forums I frequent. I found out some interesting news that I wanted to share. Producer Shep Crawford revealed in a recent interview that the hit song S...

Beyonce was in the middle of performing her hit single Irreplaceable when a naughty fan got too carried away and grabbed Beyonce's ass. Check it out! Sure the guy was in the wrong but he was merely doing what any normal straight guy would want to do to Beyonce among other things.

Troubled star Amanda Bynes has launched an all out attack on Rihanna. She took to Twitter to address Rihanna as "ugly" and spoke on her now defunct relationship with Chris Brown. Never one to be outdone Rihanna responded back and threw jabs at Bynes about her failed intervention attempts among other things. Now I have seen and read things Rihanna has said on Twitter about other stars, fans, and the like. She definitely goes in and Ms. Amanda Bynes may of finally met her match. Speaking of Rihanna...her ex beau Chris Brown announced that he is releasing a new single tomorrow( They Don't Know featuring Aaliyah?). The controversial singer revealed the news via Twitter.

Don't talk shit about Chief Keef and his music. Katy Perry found out the hard way. The singer took to Twitter to express her disdain over Keef's song Hate Being Sober . Perry was however unaware that Keef was responsible for the song. When Keef caught wind of the dis he threatened Perry with lewd sexual acts. Instead of playing into the nonsense Perry simply offered up a quick apology. Smart move Katy Pery! While I'm on the subject of Rap artists...2 Chainz is learning that you have to strike while the iron is hot. Speaking of irons I almost got knocked out by one today but that's a different story. Anyway 2 Chainz has revealed that he is working on a new album to be released on September 10. He also stated that he won't be doing any guest appearances while he concentrates on his new album. Boom! I guess he told you artists in desperate need of a hit! There's some American Idol news brewing... Jennifer Hudson has reportedly signed on to be a judge on Season 14 o...

Fans and concert goers almost got an eyeful when Mariah Carey's dress popped open in the back. Check it out!

Foxy Brown breaks her silence! The reclusive and always controversial rapper has been pretty quiet for the past few years. She is now speaking out against a story that was published a few weeks ago. In the said story Foxy allegedly attended a baby shower and bad mouthed Jay-Z. Allegedly she said that Jay-Z gave her a sexually transmitted disease, took her virginity, and was "gay" among other things. Foxy denies the entire story and is threatening to sue MediaTakeOut who was responsible for the story. I read about the story a few weeks ago and I thought it was pretty far fetched and I wondered where such a story even came from. Foxy can be pretty quiet but one thing for sure is whenever there is a vicious rumor about her she will come out whatever rock she's been hiding under and address it! Oh how I miss Foxy Brown and when she did music. Female rap is just not the same without her. Wale has revealed some of the guests that will appear on his new album The Gifted ...

Ray J visited The Wendy Williams Show yesterday and talked about everything from Kim Kardashian to what actress he hit on. Check it out!

The following blog is a little lengthy just so you know so bare with me. I promise you though it is very well worth the read. So let's get straight into it...as we know the season of Summer is among us. Hell some of us are already feeling it depending on where we live. As expected there are plenty of high profile music releases this Summer. Count on these music releases to keep your speakers blaring and your cookouts going long into the night. I have your guide to some of the upcoming music releases you should look forward to in the next few weeks, months, and beyond. Check it out! June 11 Chrisette Michele - Better Better is Chrisette Michele's Motown Records debut after jumping ship from Def Jam Records. It features the new single A Couple Of Forevers and the internet favorite Charades . June 18 Kelly Rowland - Talk A Good Game Kelly Rowland has had quite the number of push backs for Talk A Good Game but the album is finally ready to go next month. We got the single...

K. Michelle is dating Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson! The fiery singer and reality star revealed the news via the New York radio show The Breakfast Club . She also stated that Chad bought her a "monkey". The singer appeared tonight on 106 & Park! She recently launched her new single V.S.O.P. from her debut album Rebellious Soul. Given K. Michelle and Chad Johnson's history of abusive relationships maybe they are a match made in heaven! Moving on...LeToya Luckett has been quiet on the music scene but that doesn't mean she is a slouch. The singer known for her hit Torn will be joining VH1's show Single Ladies . Robin Thicke is riding high with his new single Blurred Lines featuring Pharrell and T.I. The song recently topped the #1 spot on iTunes. Now the album of the same day has a release date of July 9. On top of that Robin just leaked his follow up single 4 The Rest Of My Life. Chief Keef arrested! Click here to find out why!

J. Cole unveils the new single cover art for his new single Crooked Smile which will be released in June. J. Cole had a hand in the upcoming TLC biopic airing on VH1 in November. J. Cole's new album Born Sinner is due June 18.

The new American Idol winner gives a performance and interview here.

K. Michelle set to release her debut album Rebellious Soul on July 30. The album contains the first single V.S.O.P. You can currently see K. Michelle turn up the drama on VH1's Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. Earlier this year she signed to Warner/Atlantic Records. Speaking of new albums...J. Cole has pushed up the release date of his new album Born Sinner . The album contains the single Power Trip featuring Miguel. Moving up the release date of an album is something we see very rarely but its always applauded.

Kelly Rowland is to be a judge on The X Factor. The show which returns this Fall on FOX like every othe talent based reality show has had a revolving door of judges. Kelly Rowland is not new to judging competition shows. She once was a judge on the UK version of The X Factor . There's been a lot of talk about Janet Jackson and her return to music. Now the singer has spoken out about her plans to start a new album. The singer is taking her time and is excited about the direction she is going in. There is no word yet on a proposed release date or word of a new label home as of yet. Speaking of new albums...Kanye West will release his new album Yeezus on June 18. The rapper tweeted the date 'June 18' awhile back which added to speculation that a new album was in the works. With his new single and video for New Slaves trending on Twitter Kanye is poised to take over music!

Live It Up appears on J-LO's upcoming 10th studio album and her first for Capitol Records due this Summer.

Mario is back! The singer known for his hit Break Up recently revealed that he is releasing a new single entitled Somebody Else . The song features none other than Nicki Minaj and will be available on iTunes on May 21. Mark your calendars because May 21 is also the date you can purchase Kelly Rowland's new single Dirty Laundry on iTunes. The controversial and revealing track features Kelly spilling the beans on an abusive relationship and Beyonce. It's a must hear if you haven't heard it and radio has already jumped all over this song. Ashanti continues to tease us with song snippets and an ever changing release dates for her new album BraveHeart now due July 30. The album features the new single Never Should Have . In other music news... India.Arie will release her new album Songversation on June 25. Robin Thicke will release his new single 4 The Rest Of My Life on May 28.

Eve opens up about her new album Lip Lock , her love life, DMX, and more. Check it out!

Kanye West lashes out! Certainly that's a headline we're all used to seeing and hearing. Recently the rapper performed at New York's Roseland Ballroom and went on quite the tirade. The outspoken rapper spoke out about the nagging paparazzi and to not expect any skits from him on the season finale of SNL (which airs this Saturday). Kanye West has been busy working on new music and preparing to be a father. Pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian is due this Summer. Speaking of pregnancies there are rumors that Beyonce is pregnant for the second time! Beyonce's own Mother confirmed last week it wasn't true. Based on the recent turn of events with Beyonce cancelling her tour dates and having "dehydration" and "exhaustion" one can only wonder if the rumors are indeed true. Maybe Beyonce will perform at another awards show this year and expose her pregnant belly like she did before. Moving on... It probably comes as no surprise that Rihanna is readying a n...

Candice Glover is the new winner of season 12 of American Idol . It has been one long season full of drama that played out in front of the cameras as well as behind. Last week veteran judge Randy Jackson(amid the rumblings of firing all four judges) stepped down. Now on the heels of Randy Jackson's exit is news that Nicki Minaj is leaving American Idol as well. There is no official word whether or not Mariah Carey or Keith Urban will return as judges. Do we care either way though? I most certainly don't! Tonight's season finale of American Idol went as expected, high profile performances from the likes of J-LO and Aretha Franklin, surprise appearances from singers like Jessie J, PSY, Jennifer Hudson and the former Idol contestants. I will say I knew that Candice Glover had it in the bag so congratulations to her. I see her doing big things in the future. Switching geaars... Wondering when you can get your hands on the new album from Tamar Braxton? Well unfortunately you wil...

Azealia Banks reveals the single cover for her new single ATM Jam featuring Pharrell Williams. The song is the second single to be released from Azealia's upcoming debut album Broke With Expensive Taste due this Summer.  Pharrell previewed the chorus to this song in a video that's online. I'm not sure how old the video is but I heard the song ATM Jam was originally a demo for Swizz Beats. You know what the say, one person's trash is another person's treasure. Hopefully this song will the commercial hit that Azealia needs to jump start her album.

Chris Brown says his new song will feature none other than the late great Aaliyah. The song is titled They Don't Know . This comes on the heels of the July 16 release of the new Chris Brown album X . X features the hit single Fine China . Last year Drake released the song Enough Said featuring Aaliyah. The song got mixed reviews. What do you think about Chris Brown releasing a song with Aaliyah's vocals? Yay or nay? In other news... Solange starts own record label Saint Records. The BET Nominations have been revealed! Click here for the nominations! Beyonce cancels tour dates for exhaustion and dehydration.

I was on Twitter earlier when I suddenly noticed that former Bad Boy singing group Danity Kane was a trending topic. My curiosity got the best of me so I clicked on the link. It turns out that the girls are rumored to be reuniting. The group was caught going to lunch by TMZ cameras. I know Danity Kane had a huge following and many were upset when they were split apart. Are you interested to see these ladies get together again and possibly put out new music?

Beyonce pregnant? That's one of the first headlines I saw today while surfing the web in search of news. Indeed Beyonce wants more children but as of right now Beyonce's pregnancy is a big fat RUMOR. Currently Beyonce is on her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour which ends in August 5 in Brooklyn, New York. While I was still on Facebook scrolling down my news feed I saw a story about an alleged sex tape starring Bobby V. Allegedly the video is being shopped around and it stars Bobby V. getting it in with a famous video vixen. Wow is all I can say! Some people will do anything for a little attention. Remember the duo Changing Faces? They were responsible for the hits Foolin' Around and Stroke You Up ? Well they are back with a new single and new album titled Hate Love which is available on iTunes now! The album is said to be released this Summer. I've always liked Changing Faces and their music. I remember reading little things here and there regarding their return to mus...

Congratulations to Monica! The singer is pregnant with her third child. This is the first child for her and husband Shannon Brown. I learned of Monica's pregnancy through Facebook last night. I'm not sure how far along she is but according to her stomach sticking out, I would figure a few months into her pregnancy. Monica is currently working on new music which has no release date but she is working with a who's who in R&B/Hip Hop right now. I know I'm late on the whole American Idol judges firing fiasco but I still have my two cents to add. I personally think the judges all should be let go but also the show should be cancelled. The show has lost its spark in my opinion many seasons ago. The show however still has an incredible amount of influence on popular culture though. That is one important thing to note. I'm sure FOX will likely give the show another go complete with a new panel of judges. This has been the first season in awhile that I've wat...

Alicia Keys gives a rousing rendition of her latest Pop single Tears Always Win from her gold album Girl On Fire .

Nicki Minaj opens up about her future at American Idol and her rocky relationship with Mariah Carey. Check it out!

Mariah struts her stuff alongside Miguel in the clip to her new video for #Beautiful . It is the first single and video to her upcoming untitled album due this Summer. Mariah collaborated with a number of producers including R. Kelly, The-Dream, Jermaine Dupri, Mike Will Made It, Bryan-Michael Cox, and more.

Kelly Rowland teases fans with a taste of what to expect from her upcoming single Dirty Laundry . The song was produced by The-Dream and will be available on iTunes May 21. Talk A Good Game will be in stores June 18.

After releasing the red hot cover for her new album Talk A Good Game Kelly Rowland has revealed the album tracklisting. There are 12 songs in total which you can check out below. It's also been revealed that Kelly's new single is Dirty Laundry produced by The-Dream. 01. #1 02. Gone (ft. Wiz Khalifa) 03. Dirty Laundry 04. Kisses Down Low 05. You Changed (ft. Beyoncé & Michelle Williams) 06. Talk a Good Game 07. Stay Awake 08. Ice (ft. Lil Wayne) 09. I Want You Back 10. Red Wine 11. Feet to the Fire (ft. Pharrell) 12. Skywalker ...and if that's not enough in regards to new music news, peep this! Robin Thicke is releasing a new single titled Give It To Me featuring 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar. His current single Blurred Lines featuring T.I. and Pharrell is on fire. Adding to the fire is Jaheim who returns with new single Age Ain't A Factor . It is the first single to be released off his upcoming album Appreciation Day due this Fall. J-LO just released her new sin...

Leah LaBelle struts her stuff in her video to her single Lolita . Her Epic Records debut is due later this year.

Toni Braxton discusses her Lupus disease, her career, and more. In other Toni Braxton news the singer has revealed that several artists have reached out to her to get back in the studio. Some of those artists include Anita Baker, Missy Elliott, and Babyface. Toni has not hid the fact that that she wishes to quit the music biz. What do you think? Do you think Toni Braxton should retire or should she keep churning out those albums? 

The fiery singer and reality TV star of Love & Hip Hop takes viewers on her journey as she readies her album Rebellious Soul .

French Montana will release his debut album Excuse My French on May 21.

Tears Always Win is the next single release from Alicia Keys. Her current single Fire We Make featuring Maxwell just got the video release treatment a few weeks ago.  It looks like Alicia is pushing out these singles to keep her album sales for Girl On Fire healthy. So far to date the album has sold roughly 670,000 copies. That's good numbers but for an artist like Alicia Keys that is a little underwhelming.

The one and only Tamar Braxton unleashes the new single cover for The One . It is the second single to be released from her upcoming Epic Records debut. The song, like Love & War has already locked the #1 spot down on iTunes.  This is crazy! I haven't even heard the whole song in full yet. From the preview I heard a few months ago the song does sound very promising.

Kelly Rowland unveils the album cover for her new album Talk A Good Game . The album features the hit singles Kisses Down Low and Ice featuring Lil' Wayne. The album features appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell Williams, and The-Dream.  So what do you think about the new Kelly Rowland album cover? Smoking hot or not?

Hey everybody! I will call this particular blog today "The Female Rap Edition". All the stories below deal with female rappers who are currently in the news. I start with one of my favorite new rappers Azealia Banks who is back after a long sabbatical from Twitter. She announced yesterday that her next single is titled ATM JAM featuring Pharrell. Azealia herself has tweeted lyrics to the song awhile back and she mentioned that Pharrell was on her album, her debut Broke With Expensive Taste due later this year. Since Yung Rapunxel was more of an underground single maybe ATM JAM will be more commercial. There is no release date but look for the song to debut in the coming weeks. Lauryn Hill has been back in the news but not necessarily for the best reasons unless you count her new single Neurotic Society . The song is the first release since Lauryn Hill renewed her record deal at Sony Records. Aside from the new music its been no secret that Lauryn has been in and out of cou...

Bounce appears on Iggy Azalea's upcoming debut album The New Classic.

Who Do We Think We Are will appear on John Legend's new album Love In The Future in stores and online June 25. June is Black Music Month and its already shaping up to be a big month for R&B/Hip Hop music releases including Ashanti, Kelly Rowland, Chrisette Michele, Wale, and J. Cole.

Beyonce takes time from her busy schedule to sit down exclusively with GMA to talk about her new role in the movie Epic , motherhood, and controversy. Check it out!

Look out for cameos from Kimora Lee Simmons, Christina Milian, and Paris Hilton(who play waitresses and thieves). The Rich Gang album lands in stores on June 25.

Lil' Wayne is in the news again! This time the rapper is making headlines for being dropped by Pepsi! This comes on the heels of his controversial lyrics on Future's Karate Chop Remix. It wasn't long ago when Lil' Wayne came under fire by Emmitt Till's family over the controversial lyrics. Lil' Wayne issued an apology but the family didn't accept. Next up for Lil' Wayne is appearing alongside his Rich Gang comrades in the video to Tapout. Speaking of gangs... Hustle Gang's own Iggy Azalea will collaborate with T.I. on her third single titled Change Your Life . It is set to appear on Iggy Azalea's Def Jam Records debut The New Classic . Iggy recently released the single Bounce and its accompanying video will premiere soon. In other news... Lauryn Hill just released a new single Neurotic Society . Click here to listen!

Kanye West is back in the news again! Is the news good or bad is the question. I can say this news I'm reporting and that has been reported by other outlets is positive news. Kanye West has been seen recently with his pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian. Kanye had come under fire from many for not being by Kim's side during most of her pregnancy. The last few weeks for Kim has been pretty stressful as well dealing with her divorce from Kris Humphries and Ray J's I Hit It First song. Now the controversial rapper is making news after tweeting 'June 18'. It has many speculating that Kanye may release new music on that day. It has been no secret that he has been in Paris working on new music. Kanye has been spending quite a bit of time overseas as well. It was overseas where he dissed Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z's song Suit & Tie before going on a full fledged rampage. I'm sure all this frustration and anger is being channeled into Kanye's new album and w...

French Montana will finally release his debut album Excuse My French on May 21.

Round Of Applaus e appears on Trina's recently released mixtape Back 2 Business . Trina is said to be working on new music. My prayers are with Trina who lost her brother last week. It was certainly news to me when I learned of it. I'm a big Trina fan but I had no idea she had a brother let alone any siblings.

Ashanti sits down and interviews Trey Songz as part of Fuse Artist To Artist segment. Awhile back Ashanti worked with Fuse to produce a show that profiles various celebrities. Ashanti can currently be seen on the Lifetime network series Army Wives . Her new album Braveheart is slated to be in stores on June 11. Her new single Never Should Have was the second most added song at Urban radio and the accompanying video was released last week.

Hello all! I hope all is going well. I have a little news for you all to digest. Read on below! Lil' Wayne has suffered yet another seizure. The rapper was taken the hospital last night where he was later released. He tweeted fans assuring them that he's "fine". Let's hope this is the last time this happens. Fantasia is celebrating! Her new album The Side Effects Of You debuts at #2 this week selling 91,000 copies. A lot of people have been raving about the new Fantasia album but personally I haven't been able to get into it. Well that is all folks! Check back soon for more news updates and more!

The outspoken Lil' Mo speaks out on her cast mates on TVOne's upcoming R&B Divas: LA set to air later this year and more. Check it out!

Q.U.E.E.N. appears on Janelle Monae's upcoming album The Electric Lady due in stores this Summer.