the chal banz blog

Ciara premiered her new video for I'm Out featuring Nicki Minaj during the BET Awards pre-show. If you missed it you can catch it here. Ciara's new album Ciara will be in stores on July 9. The album features the single Body Party .

The stars were out in full force from the BET Awards Pre-Show. I have to say this is the best the red carpet has looked for BET. It looks like the network went all out. ET(Entertainment Tonight) was on the red carpet as well as countless other media outlets. Check out a list of performers and the celebrities who appeared on the red carpet. Hosts : Bow Wow, Angela Simmons, Adrienne Bailon(Cheetah Girls), Tony Rock(Chris Rock's brother), B. Scott(blogger) Performer s: Ace Hood, French Montana, Trinidad James, Jacob Lattimore, Red Carpet Sightings/Interviews : Omarosa, Mindless Behavior, Tatiyana Ali, Lala Anthony, Ne-Yo, Ravaughn(song: Best Friend), French Montana, Boris Kudjoe(show: Real Househusbands Of Hollywood), LeToya Luckett, Big Sean, Trinidad James, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa DeSousa(movie: The Best Man), Estelle, 2 Chainz, Lil' Mama, J. Cole, Jordin Sparks, Brandy(says she working on new music), Ashanti, Robin Thicke & Paula Patton, K. Michelle, Ace Hood, Kat Graham( Vam...

I had seen this video a few days ago on Instagram and now this video is simply everywhere. Check it out! By the way the girl twerking at the end is Ashanti's sister and the two guys work twerking works for Ashanti. Ashanti's new album Braveheart will be released on July 30. There hasn't been an official album cover or tracklisting released yet so I'm hoping after her BET awards promo run it will be unveiled. It's very rare for an album to not have the official tracklisting and album cover unveiled when its only a month left to the release date. I also read somewhere that Ashanti will be performing at the BET awards pre-show but I'm not sure if its true.

K. Michelle finally releases the video for her new single V.S.O.P. from her upcoming album Rebellious Soul in stores and online August 13. You can catch K. Michelle every Monday on VH1's Love & Hip Hop Atlanta .

Janelle Monae has revealed her new album The Electric Lady will be released on September 10. The album features the Erykah Badu assisted-single Q.U.E.E.N. and collaborations from R&B luminaries such as Miguel and Prince. Speaking of new albums...Mary J. Blige is back in the studio working on a new album. Originally the singer was working on a Christmas album(which I read was scrapped) in favor of a full length studio album. One duet we can all possibly look forward to is one with Rapture -singer Anita Baker. If you recall it was Anita Baker's Rapture song that got Mary her big break. I'm glad because while I wouldn't mind a Christmas album from Mary I'm actually more excited about a new album from her. Someone who was heavily influenced by both Mary and Anita is Fantasia. The singer who has released her new album a few months ago is finally set to release her new video the Kelly Rowland assisted-single Without Me . The video is set to premiere on July 1. 

Foxy Brown makes a rare appearance on stage in New York City when she prepares to perform a new single( Bandz Up ) she collapses on stage. Check it out! If you wanna skip right to the fall its at the 1:52 mark. Foxy reportedly just signed a new record deal with indie label Rostrum Records(home to artists like Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa).

 Chante Moore is back on the music scene. She just released a new song titled Talking In My Sleep . It is the first song from her eOne release Moore Is More . The album is due later this year. Catch Chante Moore on the TV One's R&B Divas LA premiering on July 10. Speaking of new albums...K. Michelle has pushed back the release of her debut album Rebellious Soul to August 13. The album was originally scheduled to be released on July 30. Jay-Z and Beyonce have teamed up again musically for Jay-Z's new album Magna Carta Holy Grail due July 4. The song is titled Part II(On The Run) . Jay-Z's new album features appearances and production from the likes of Swizz Beats, Frank Ocean(song: Oceans ), Justin Timberlake, Rick Rubin(worked with Kanye West), Timbaland, and more.

Wale stops by The David Letterman Show to perform his new single off his new album The Gifted available now. Wale's new album is expected to debut at #1 on The Billboard 200 charts with sales of over 150K units. 

Pharrell Williams stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform his new single from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack due July 3. As much I like Pharrell I can't say this is one of my favorites from him on the solo tip. I do like the chorus though. 

Eve stops by Chelsea Lately to talk about her new label situation, how she met her boyfriend, and why she has been outta the game for so long. Check it out! Eve's album Lip Lock is available now and to date the album has sold approximately 18,000 copies. 18,000 copies is good for an indie artist and someone who has their own label. I'm sure people will still frown upon these numbers being that its someone as established as Eve. 

Chris Brown is in trouble again!  We've learned the L.A. City Attorney has filed 2 criminal charges against Brown, in connection with a minor accident last month where Chris rear-ended a Mercedes and allegedly refused to fork over his driver's license number and gave bogus insurance info and then left the scene. The City Attorney has charged Chris with hit-and-run -- for leaving the scene without exchanging proper information. He's also been charged with the crime of driving without a valid license. The crimes are punishable by a maximum of 6 months in jail for each offense. We've also learned the City Attorney will refer the matter to the L.A. County D.A. for a possible probation violation in the Rihanna beating case. Worst case scenario -- if the judge in that case concludes Chris broke the law and thereby violated his probation, he could be sentenced to prison for 4 years. Mariah Carey has pushed her new album The Art Of Letting Go back to an unspecified date. T...

Bring The Noize is the new single and video from M.I.A. The song will appear on her upcoming album Matangi due this Fall on Interscope Records.

Kiss Land is the new single and title track of the new album from The Weeknd due later this year on Republic Records. On a sidenote: Whenever I hear of Kiss Land I think of the album R. Kelly was going to release titled Love Land . 

Wiz Khalifa just announced a new tour Under The Influence Of Music which will start up on July 17 with Trindad James, ASAP Rocky, and more. He also announced a new album titled Blacc Hollywood will debut later this year.

Kelly Rowland is on a roll as she promotes her new album and no media outlet is off limits. Check Kelly out as she talks to Hot97 about everything under the sun.

Wale goes behind the scenes of his new video release for Clappers . Check it out! Wale's new album The Gifted is in stores tomorrow June 25.

Melanie Fiona takes us in the studio with her as she cuts a new song. Check it out!

Kelly Rowland stops by Wendy to talk about her new album Talk A Good Game (in stores now), Dirty Laundry, Beyonce, and more. Check it out!

Big Sean is back! His new album Hall Of Fame will be due in stores on August 27. The album's first single Beware features Jhene Aiko & Lil' Wayne and will be available on iTunes on June 25. The album features appearances from Eminem, Miguel, Nas, and 'rumor has it" Adele While we're on the subject of new albums...Future has announced that he will release his new single Honest . It is the first single from his upcoming album Future Hendrix . Look for the song to premiere within the next 2-3 weeks according to Future. You can hear Future on Ciara's new album on a track titled Where You Go .

Mariah Carey is in the studio with Young Jeezy. Pictures of the twosome were snapped alongside producer Mike Will Made It. People are speculating that Young Jeezy may be on a remix to Mariah's hit song #Beautiful . Last week there were more pictures of Mariah in Italy alongside Miguel in what was said to be a video shoot(for a possible #Beautiful Remix). Nothing has been confirmed as of yet so we will just have to wait and see what Mariah has up her sleeve. In the meantime you can check out her new album The Art Of Letting Go in stores and online July 23. Speaking of new albums...Drake's new album Nothing Was The Same will be in stores on September 17. This comes on the heels of singles Girls Love Beyonce and Started From The Bottom . Shortly after the album's release Drake will embark on the Would You Like a Tour trek featuring Miguel and Future.

Dumb is the newest single from Faith Evans. It appears on the compilation album R&B Divas from the show of the same name which airs on TV One. I personally think this song is a step down from what I'm used to from Faith. I feel like ever since she's gone the indie route her music has sucked big time. I'm a huge fan of Faith and it was great to see her on TV(just about every week) on R&B Divas . Her role on the show got smaller as she went to relocate to L.A. Plus the show was getting way too dramatic and I think Faith is simply above the drama. No problem there. I just know that I need Faith to bring it on her next album.

After bringing Drake out as a surprise guest on his concert J. Cole and Drake took to Best Buy to buy copies of his new album Born Sinner . Check it out!

Guests: Wiz Khalifa, The-Dream, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Kevin Cossum, Beyonce, Michelle Williams Production/Writers: Harmony Samuels(worked with Fantasia), Danja, Mike Will Made It, Pharrell Williams, The Runners Release Date : June 18, 2013 Overview/Review : Talk A Good Game is the newest album from Kelly Rowland. It features the hit singles Kisses Down Low and Dirty Laundry . Ice featuring Lil' Wayne is suspiciously absent from the album despite being a minor hit when it was released nearly a year ago. Maybe that's why it wasn't included on the album being that it was released so long ago. Then again who really knows why the song was left off. I don't recall Kelly being asked about it...yet. Kelly has been making the rounds on TV in the last few weeks most notably on Good Morning America , Watch What Happens Live , and appearance on Wendy next week. As of now Talk A Good Game is estimated to sell 65K copies in its first week of release. If that is so it...

Happy is the new single from Pharrell which appears on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack.

Nicki Minaj is free to resume with her music career now that the season of American Idol is over. A judging stint on Idol didn't necessarily slow Nicki down but it limited the number of guest appearances we would hear her on. My have things have changed. Once Nicki made the announcement that she was working on a new album(her third) her plan was to "attack" everything and I mean everything. With the number of collaborations out and in the works here is just a fraction of the new songs Nicki is featured on. Get Like Me - Nelly Featuring Nick Minaj & T.I. I talked about this song in a totally different post that I devoted to Pharrell Williams. the track is sure to get play with Nicki being featured and the fact that Pharrell currently has the #1 and #2 Pop song on radio. I guess it doesn't hurt that Nelly has a hit song on radio with the Florida Georgia Line. I guess he too is in "attack" mode. #Twerkit - Busta Rhymes Featuring Nicki Minaj Being that...

Ciara's new self-titled album isn't due in stores until July 9 but the album mysteriously leaked out last night. If you missed the leak(Sony is cracking down on various links so this might not even be up long) you can check out the snippets above.

Kelly Rowland woke up viewers this morning with a performance of her newest song Street Life . It appears on her new album Talk A Good Game available now. The album is on track to sell upwards of 65K copies. Kelly has definitely been making the rounds this week but faces major competition with new releases from Kanye West and J. Cole. You catch Kelly on Watch What Happens Live! on Thursday(June 20) and Wendy (June 24) on Monday.

No producer is more in demand than Pharrell Williams. He has been churning out the hits since 1996(if I'm not mistaken). His early output included work with now legendary R&B girl groups SWV(song: Use Your Heart ) and Total(song: When Boy Meets Girl ). Now fast forward to 17 years and Pharrell Williams is still going strong! You can currently hear Pharrell on Robin Thicke's #1 hit single Blurred Lines as well as Daft Punk's top 10 hit Get Lucky . If you think that's all Pharrell has up his sleeve then you have another thing coming. You can check out some of his upcoming collaborations below. If that's not enough I will even take a trip down memory lane highlighting a slew of songs Pharrell had a hand in producing. Happy - Pharrell Williams Pharrell can be heard on the lead single to the Despicable Me 2 movie. The song itself leaked out awhile back but the movie itself I'm not too sure about. I believe it will be in theaters in the coming weeks. Reach Out ...

Ciara is gearing up for the release of her new video I'm Out featuring Nicki Minaj but also her new album Ciara due July 9. Bits of Ciara's album has been leaking online so her team might wanna stop the leaks or bump up the release date! I just heard one of the newest songs from the album titled Read My Lips (produced By Rodney Jerkins) and its a banger! While the poster above makes note that Ciara will premiere her video before the upcoming BET Awards on June 30 I'll take this time to lament on the upcoming awards show. Mariah Carey, Miguel, India.Arie, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Chris Brown are said to be just a handful of those performing on the BET Awards. As always look for special appearances, live flubs, shocking behavior, and more.  On another note I have to say I gawked at the mention of Mariah Carey performing. It's likely she will be performing #Beautiful with Miguel and all I can say is I hope its not as dreadful as her last few live perf...

Mariah Carey was spotted overseas with Miguel. The two are responsible for the current hit #Beautiful. #Beautiful will appear on Mariah Carey's new album The Art Of Letting Go due July 23. Word is that Mariah and Miguel are shooting a video perhaps for #Beautiful Remix or perhaps a totally different track. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet but stay tuned. #Beautiful is currently one of my favorite songs out right now and I'm anticipating what Mariah will give us on this upcoming album. Moving on...I was reading up on one of the music forums I frequent. It was revealed by producer Bangladesh that the track Diva (performed by Beyonce) was originally intended for Keyshia Cole. Keyshia liked the track but wasn't completely satisfied with it and that's when Bangladesh later shopped the song to Beyonce(who liked the track). By the time Keyshia had a change of mind Beyonce had already had the track cemented. Diva appeared on Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce album. It...

I'm not the biggest fan of Iggy Azalea but for those who are you can check her out here along with T.I.

Mary J. Blige and J-LO are said to duet! I'm sure the headline alone comes as to a surprise to everyone. The two superstars recently hooked up at the Chime For Change concert a few weeks ago. Now the pair will reportedly duet for each others upcoming albums. Mary's new album is a Christmas album said to be due later this year and will feature a duet with J-LO and even J-LO's ex Marc Anthony. J-LO is currently finishing up her Capitol Records debut and has said that Mary will likely contribute to the album. J-LO has been in the studio with the likes of Future and Chris Brown. She recently released her single Live It Up featuring Pitbull. As for Mary's new album I'm all for a Christmas album but I was hoping she'd give us a new studio album. Speaking of new albums...John Legend will release his new album Love In The Future on September 3. The album was originally due to be released on June 25. The album will feature the newly released single Made To Love prod...

Mario takes viewers behind the scenes as he shoots the video to his new single Somebody Else featuring Nicki Minaj. The single appears on the upcoming Mario album due later this year.

2 Chainz has announced his new album title! Due September 10 B.O.A.T.S II: Me Time will feature the Pharrell-assisted first single Feds Watching . Speaking of watching there was a video that leaked(that I should of posted) of 2 Chainz getting robbed on the street. The robbery in question was the same robbery that 2 Chainz took to Twitter to deny. I think it was that denial that led to the surveillance video being leaked. I can't say I blame him for running when the guy approached him with a gun. I mean what would you do? Luckily he got away as did many of his entourage. In other Hip Hop music news...Kanye West is likely having the best week ever. His girlfriend Kim Kardashian gave birth yesterday to a 5lb baby girl. TMZ broke the story as did several other media outlets that Kim K. was in labor. Moments later it was being reported that the reality TV star had given birth. Like a true scholar Kanye West cancelled his L.A. promotion he had set for his new album Yeezuz which brings me...

Michelle Williams is back! The former Destiny's Child singer will release a new single If We Had Your Eyes on June 24. The song is the first single from her upcoming album which will be released through the eOne label. Recently friend Beyonce penned an intimate letter to Michelle praising her performance in theatre for her role in the show Fela! In Hip Hop News...Kanye Wests' new album Yeezus has leaked out after being prematurely available on a password only site. The album features appearances from Frank Ocean(on the first single: New Slaves ), Daft Punk(worked with Pharrell Williams), Kid Cudi, and Chief Keef. Yeezus will be available in stores on June 18. Early reaction the album(via Twitter) has been somewhat mixed from what I've seen so far. I personally don't have much interest in this album so I will probably just skip it altogether. Nelly is still trying to make that comeback he so desperately needs and he might be on the right track. The St. Louis rapper is...

Catch Ciara on the newest cover of FADER Magazine. The singer is one of the handful of artists releasing new music this Summer. Ciara's long awaited album Ciara will be available on July 9. The album features the hit single Body Party and most recently a remix was released featuring Ne-Yo.

Robin Thicke continues to promote his #1 Billboard Hot 100 smash Blurred Lines from the album of the same name due July 30.

Rap-Up.com || Lil Wayne Talks Retirement, Seizures, & Skating on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Check out the link above to watch the three part video of Lil' Wayne speaking on his impending retirement, seizures, and skating. In other music news... Robin Thicke has hit #1 with his new single Blurred Lines featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams. The song is Robin's first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. His previous high peak was the #14 charting Lost Without U . Blurred Lines is the title track of the album available on July 30.

Last night Usher delivered a performance of his song Twisted (produced by Pharrell) from his latest album Looking 4 Myself . Twisted was one of my favorite songs from Looking 4 Myself and it was a shame that it didn't get the single treatment.

Big Sean recently hit the studio with Eminem. The collaboration may end up on Big Sean's upcoming album Hall Of Fame or Eminem's upcoming album. Nothing has been determined yet but Big Sean refers to the collaboration as a "Detroit Classic". Besides Eminem Big Sean collaborated with the likes of Miguel and Nas for his new album which currently has no release date. While we are on the subject or Rap...Lil' Kim found herself in a car accident. The rapper is currently donning a neck brace that she has to wear for a week and a half. She assured fans via Twitter that she is "fine". Get better Kimmy!

Kelly Rowland: Talk A Good Game (Deluxe Edt.) (CD) – jpc With a little over a week to go until Kelly Rowland releases her new album Talk A Good Game you can treat yourself to an exclusive preview of the album by clicking above. 

Kelly Rowland - Street Life feat Pusha T - 102.3 THE BEAT Tracks from Kelly Rowland's new album Talk A Good Game keep leaking left and right but out of all the other songs this has caught my attention. Street Life was produced by none other than Pharrell Williams(one of my favorites). Talk A Good Game will be available on June 18. 

While promoting her new album Lip Lock overseas Eve does a freestyle reminding everyone that she hasn't lost it. What do you think?

Babyface and Toni Braxton have reunited! The pair is recording a duet album for Motown Records. The untitled album is due this September. Toni Braxton recently revealed that she was planning to retire from music but many of her musical buddies including Babyface has coerced her to reconsider the decision. Toni Braxton is currently doing some spot dates this Summer around the US. Speaking of new albums due in September...Janelle Monae will release The Electric Lady. The album features the single Q.U.E.E.N. featuring Erykah Badu. Elsewhere on the album look for collaborations from Prince and Miguel(song: Primetime ). While you await those album releases you can stream the new J. Cole album Born Sinner by clicking here. Born Sinner will be available on June 18.

Robin Thicke travels across seas to promote his #1 single Blurred Lines which is the fastest selling single in the UK. Blurred Lines (the album) will be available on July 8 overseas and either July 9 or July 30 in the States.

Ashanti visited the HOT 97 studios in New York City to talk about everything from Nelly to her new album to dating a regular guy to flying first class. It's all here!  Ashanti's Braveheart is due on July 30.

Chris Breezy takes us viewers behind the scenes as he shoots the video to his new Aaliyah-assisted single They Don't Know . Chris Brown's new album X will be available on July 16. 

Ashanti stopped by the Marie show which airs on The Hallmark Channel where she performed new single Never Should Have . Ashanti has been on a press junket this week in support of her new single and Army Wives .

Mario is back with a new album! The new untitled album is set to be released in September. The album's first single Somebody Else features Nicki Minaj. Ironically Chris Brown also recorded the song(which recently leaked out). Elsewhere on the new Mario album expect collaborations with Sevyn Streeter(song: I Like It ) and J. Cole. I like Mario and I think he is severely underrated. I'm still on the fence about the new single but maybe I'll warm up to it eventually. Congratulations are in order for Tamar Braxton and husband Vince Herbert. The singer/reality star just gave birth to a baby boy. It wasn't long ago when Tamar revealed her pregnancy which came as a shock to many. On her reality show she was looking for a surrogate Mother. Obviously Tamar had a change of heart. Tamar's album Love & War is due to be released in September.

Ashanti stops by ABC's The Chew to dish about her role on Army Wives (season finale airing this Sunday) and her addiction to sweets. Ashanti looks radiant! She is currently on a press tour in support of her new single Never Should Have as well as Army Wives . Ashanti's new album Braveheart will be in stores on July 30.

We can expect a new Mariah Carey album on July 23. The album will include the hit single #Beautiful featuring Miguel. For the new album Mariah worked with Rodney Jerkins, Bryan Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, R. Kelly, The-Dream, and more. I'm liking #Beautiful and I'm really looking forward to a new Mariah Carey album. I hope she really brings it and on a totally different note; she know she has to do better on the live performances. They have been atrocious so far this era. We haven't heard from Ameriie in awhile but she's been in the studio working on new music. The singer is working on two albums which may turn out to be a trilogy. Cymatika Vol. 1 and 2 are currently in the works. No word on when to expect a release date. I have read that Ameriie has been working on new music for awhile. I'm not sure what her label situation is right now but that could be one of the hold ups.

Miguel's stage dive may land him in hot water. We remember during the Billboard Awards when Miguel dived across the stage and landed on an audience member's head? Well the audience member may be going forward with a lawsuit if it proves that she may have a brain injury. I think Miguel may wanna stop all that jumping around for awhile anyway. If I recall he did that before and fell off stage. Moving on...Kelly Rowland has revealed that her songs Girl and Bad Habit recorded with Destiny's Child was about her abusive relationship. It's a subject that is explored on her new hit single Dirty Laundry . Who would of thought?

Fantasia just shot the video for her new single Without Me featuring Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott. It appears on her recently released album The Side Effects Of Me in stores and online now. Speaking of Kelly she is doing the damn thing! Every time I listen to the radio her single Dirty Laundry comes on. Her other single Kisses Down Low is still in heavy rotation and her album Talk A Good Game will be out in a few weeks. Go Kells! One of Kelly's closest friends...Beyonce has denied the pregnancy rumors that have plagued her as of lately. The news had been confirmed last month but Beyonce has been seen drinking wine and in a leotard so pregnant she must not be. I think people were really wanting Beyonce to be pregnant again. Why? I don't know. Speaking of pregnancies...its been revealed that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are having a baby girl. Kim is set to give birth in July. In other news... Maybach Music will release new album Self Made, Vol. 3 on August 6.

Ashanti talks about her role in Army Wives , her new album, and more. Check it out!

Kanye West is set to attend girlfriend Kim Kardashian's baby shower which is being held today. Sister Khloe Kardashian confirmed the news. Kim Kardashian is reportedly due sometime next month. The sex of the baby is said to be revealed tonight on the new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Meanwhile father to be Kanye West is also gearing up for a new album Yeezus to be released on June 18. The album features the singles Black Skinhead and New Slaves featuring Frank Ocean. A snippet of a song titled Bound is available to listen through Kanye West's official website. While I'm on the subject of reality shows...another reality TV star Trina Braxton of Braxton Family Values is filing for divorce from her husband of 10 years. The couple has had their ups and downs which were documented on 'Family' in the past seasons. I don't get to watch BFV so I don't know what's going on. I usually catch up on the reruns when I visit my sis cause she gets WeTV....

Robin Thicke will release his new album Blurred Lines on July 30. The album previously had a release date of July 9. The title track has been a breakout hit! Robin will release a follow up single 4 The Rest Of My Life next week. Speaking of "lines"...Mariah Carey may be rehearsing a few lines if she stars in a remake of the Marilyn Monroe movie Some Like It Hot. The singe is a big fan of the iconic actress so this would be befitting. Mariah Carey is slated to drop a new album later this Summer. One star that is heavily influenced by Mariah Carey is none other than Tamar Braxton, sister of Toni Braxton(we all know that right). She will be starring in a new daytime TV show titled The Real . The show is being described as The View meets The Talk . She will co-host alongside twin sister duo Tia and Tamera Mowry, Adrienne Bailon(of Cheetah Girls), and comedienne Loni Love. The show will air on July 8 through select FOX syndicates. Will you be watching?