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Rihanna Leaves Def Jam for Roc Nation
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Industry News, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop,
Rihanna is preparing to release her next album with Roc Nation after leaving Def Jam.
The "Diamonds" singer, who was already being managed by Jay Z's record label, has now inked a deal and her profile on Roc Nation's website has been updated, which lists her as one of their big name acts.
Rihanna first signed her record deal with Def Jam in 2005, when she was just 17, and claims then-label-president Jay Z wouldn't let her out of his office until she put pen to paper. Since then, she has released all seven of her chart conquering albums with the label, including 2011's Unapologetic, despite Jay Z leaving his role to start up Roc Nation in 2009.
Rihanna had already parted ways with her former manager Marc Jordan and signed with Jay's Roc Nation management team in 2010 but it now appears she is also signed to the label.
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Jay Z, Beyonce to Tour Together this Summer
Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Concerts / Tours, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul, New Releases,
Hip-hop's royal couple, Jay Z and Beyonce, are taking their duet act to cities everywhere this summer.
After months of rumors circulated in anticipation of the event, Beyonce confirmed the news by posting a photo of the pair (seen above) wearing ski masks with the words "On the Run Tour" written across it. The tour - which will stop by at least 13 cities this summer - will kick off on June 25th in Miami and end August 5th in San Francisco.
Tickets for general sale are expected to be available this Friday.
Read More | People
Gallery: Jay Z, Beyonce to Tour Together this Summer
Kanye West Plans Spoken Word Album
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap,
Kanye West is planning to release a spoken word album.
The "Bound 2" hitmaker will reportedly make the three-hour recording available on vinyl, and it will feature everything from his views on the environment to life with fiancee Kim Kardashian and their 10-month-old daughter North.
"Kanye loves the sound of his own voice and this will be the ultimate in self-indulgence. He has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment. He's forever recording his opinions on tape. He says he's doing it for posterity and thought about turning them into a book or even donating them to a museum," a source said.
Kanye is said to be excited by the "groundbreaking" record and has set his sights on it winning awards. "Kanye likes to push the boundaries and thinks this is very groundbreaking. He's hoping it'll win him a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album," the source added.
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Kelly Rowland Recruits Pharrell for New Album
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul,
Kelly Rowland has recruited Pharrell Williams for her fifth solo album.
The 33-year-old star is planning the follow-up to Talk A Good Game and has managed to get the "Get Lucky" hitmaker to work on new material with her in the studio. "I'm at the very very beginning stages of the record. We're at the point now where we are all talking - writers [and] producers - we're all excited. There are fresh ideas coming into the studio right now. We're trying different beats. It's a really great start. Pharrell [Williams] is on board. We already talked about it. I'd love for Timbaland to be on board. We've had discussions as well. I want to try to some new talent as well. There's so much new talent ... There's somebody out there with something new to give and I'd love to tap into that as well," she told Billboard.com.
Kelly recently revealed she's parted ways with Universal Republic for a "fresh new start" and wants to try something different: "I need something new and I've earned the right to make my own choices and make my own decisions. I wish them well. They wish me well. No hard feelings, I just needed a fresh new start."
Gallery: Kelly Rowland Recruits Pharrell for New Album
Lily Allen: I Want to Be Like Kayne West
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, New Releases,
Lily Allen would like to be "anything like" Kanye West.
The "Hard Out Here" singer, who named her latest album Sheezus, a play on the rapper's Yeezus record, wants to be just like the star and is trying to break the American music market. "I'm totally for Kanye, he's a G, he's cool, he's Yeezus, I'd like to be anything like him [sic]," she said. When asked what she would say to new American fans who are just discovering her music, she quipped, "[I'd say] pleazus buy Sheezus [sic]."
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Akon: Gaga’s Career Is on the Decline
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Gossip, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, New Releases,
Akon claims his record label cut ties with Lady Gaga because her career is on the decline.
The "Senegalese" hitmaker, who initially signed Gaga to his Kon Live Distribution record label under Interscope in 2007, claims he "cashed out" on the Born This Way singer because he felt her career had hit a "peak."
In an interview with US DJ Sway on Sirius XM, he was asked if he was "still involved with the star," to which he responded, "Actually I cashed out. I got out while the gooding [sic] was hot. It's like a business, you build it to sell it. When I got it to the peak of where I felt it couldn't go nowhere, and there was nowhere left to go but down, I cashed out." He added, "In other words I sold my share and got out before it was too late."
During the earlier years Akon was involved in Gaga's first album The Fame and co-wrote her hit debut single "Just Dance."
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P. Diddy Returns to Being Puff Daddy
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Gossip, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap,
P. Diddy wants to be known as Puff Daddy again.
The rap mogul - real name Sean Combs - announced in 2001 that he had changed his stage name to P. Diddy, but started using the moniker he was best known by in the late '90s again this week, as he took to Twitter to share a teaser for his upcoming video "Big Homie," in which he introduces himself as Puff Daddy.
The 44-year-old star, who is gearing up to release his first album in four years, titled MMM, this year, hit back at fans for criticizing him for making another name change and insisted he's simply going back to the name he has "always used." Addressing the issue on Monday, the record producer tweeted, "For the record, I did not change my name. I always have been and always will be PUFF DADDY! 😊 Be cool Man lol #MMM #BigHomie RT!!!! [sic]." He later asked, "#DIDDYORDADDY ???"
The rapper, who is also sometimes referred to by friends as Puff or Puffy, decided to change his name 13 years ago after he was acquitted on gun-possession and bribery charges in New York City.
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Kanye West Found the Next Rihanna?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul,
Kanye West thinks he has found the next Rihanna.
The "Blood On The Leaves" singer is reportedly working in the studio with "hip" 17-year-old singer Pia Mia Perez and he is hoping to transform her into a star like the "Diamonds" hitmaker who has achieved global chart success.
"Kanye is producing some tracks for her and he's quite involved. He believes she could be the next Rihanna. [He] thinks she's young, fresh and hip - totally his target audience. He's been consulting her on a lot of his creative projects, including the Kanye x APC collection," a source said.
Pia - who is best friends with Kylie Jenner - first stepped into the spotlight last year when a video of her singing Drake's "Hold On We're Going Home" in front of the Canadian rapper and Kanye at a dinner party hosted by Kylie's family, including Kanye's fiancee Kim Kardashian, went viral on the internet.
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Justin Bieber’s New Song Is About Selena Gomez
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gossip, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul, New Releases,
Justin Bieber's new love ballad is about Selena Gomez.
The 20-year-old singer posted a teaser for the track "Life Is Worth Living Again" on his Instagram account on March 15 and it is reportedly one of many new songs the "Boyfriend" hitmaker has written about his 21-year-old on/off girlfriend.
"Yes, 'Live Is Worth Living Again' was all for Selena and that's not the only song he's written for her. He's written a bunch of stuff for her, she's his biggest inspiration," a source said.
Justin, who has been dating Selena on/off since 2010, also dedicated a song to the brunette beauty during a surprise performance in Texas earlier this month. He turned up at the Banger's Sausage House and Beer Garden in Austin for the South by Southwest festival and sang his hit "As Long As You Love Me" for his "baby," who was standing in the wings. After his romantic gesture, the pair reportedly hung out together for an hour after everyone left the venue.
Gallery: Justin Bieber’s New Song Is About Selena Gomez
Kanye West Announces ‘Yeezus’ Tour Movie
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Concerts / Tours, Upcoming Releases, Videos, Hip-Hop & Rap,
Kanye West has announced a movie based on his Yeezus world tour.
The 36-year-old rapper has teased the concert film, which will be directed by frequent collaborator Hype Williams, with a 30-second teaser trailer on his official website.
The trailer intersperses footage from his ongoing world tour, as well as clips from his recent "Bound 2" music video which featured his fiancee Kim Kardashian. "Yeezus film directed by Hype Williams coming to theatres," the website states.
Music video director Hype Williams has previously been entrusted to helm the elaborate visuals for Kanye's hit songs "All of the Lights," "Stronger" and "Gold Digger."
The "New Slaves" star has recently been linked to a biographical film based on his Yeezus album and it's rumored that Kim, 33, may have a starring role.
Gallery: Kanye West Announces ‘Yeezus’ Tour Movie
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