Kelly Rowland recently released this image of her on the set of the video for her new single, ‘Motivation (Ft. Lil Wayne)’. The track serves as the 1st official release from her 3rd studio album due for release this year and has been the #1 added song to Urban radio formats.
Frank Gatson and Luam are choreographing, while Sarah Chatfield is directing the clip.
Lupe Fiasco’s Spring Tour Dates
March 27 – Los Angeles, CA – DUB Car Show – L.A. Convention Center
March 31 – Durham, NC – Duke University
April 1 – Ann Arbor, MI – University Of Michigan
April 13 – Albany, NY – SUNY Albany – Washington Ave. Armory
April 16 – Keene, NH – Keene State College
April 19 – Oxford, OH – Miami University
April 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Mesa Amphitheater
April 24 – New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
April 25 – New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
April 26 – New Haven, CT – Yale University
April 28 – Bristol, RI – Roger Williams University
April 29 – University Park, PA – Penn State University
May 1 – Baltimore, MD – Meriweather Post
May 6 – New Orleans, LA – Congo Square
May 7 – Boise, ID – Boise State University
May 11 – Lewiston, ME – Bates College – Grey Gym
Soulja Boy is facing his biggest life challenge yet. The 20-year-old rapper shared with his Twitter followers that he lost his younger brother on Sunday night in an automobile accident and is stricken with grief from the tragic event.
“At home crying my eyes out I can’t believe my Lil bro is gone… today is so not my day.. RIP lil brother love you always :(,” tweeted a somber Soulja Boy.
Miami Mike, president of Soulja Boy’s S.O.D.M.G. label, expressed support for the “Crank That” hitmaker and his family. “The Flags are @ Half Staff @ the Offices of SODMG & PTE, R.I.P. to @Souljaboy little brother who passed-way in a auto crash last nite :-(.”
His collaborator Sean Kingston also offered his condolences, writing, “Smh life is really short man.. Why do the good die young smh @SouljaBoy keep your head up stay strong..Ima keep u in my prayers bro realtalk.”
Two of music’s biggest pop stars are about to collide. Jennifer Lopez has enlisted Lady Gaga’s talents for her upcoming album.
The “Born This Way” singer wrote and produced two tracks for Lopez’s seventh effort Love?, according to RedOne. “For those who don’t know, @ladygaga Produced/Wrote with me TWO Records for @JLo, ‘Invading my Mind’ and an Other one coming SOOON!!! OMG!!!” tweeted the hitmaker, who also produced Lopez’s first single “On the Floor.”
The “American Idol” judge recently revealed that her next single from Love? will likely be “I’m Into You” featuring Lil Wayne. “To me just the things he says and the way he says it is very unique, and I feel like he has a fresh new voice,” she said of Weezy.
With his fourth album F.A.M.E. arriving in stores Tuesday, Chris Brown is setting the bar high. The R&B heartthrob has blockbuster numbers in mind when it comes to his opening week sales.
“I wouldn’t consider it jinxing myself, but I always dream big,” Chris told Hot 97’s Angie Martinez. “I wouldn’t have thought when I was 15 I would be able to do this music. I would love to just solidify that, as much as ya’ll wanna keep talking about stuff, bringing stuff up, ya’ll can’t stop [my] music.”
He set a lofty goal for his first week, but added that he’d be happy with any amount. “I would love to do like a mill the first week, honestly. And that’s really pushing, and I know that’s pushing, but I’m happy with anything I sell. If I sell 100,000 like last time, I’m cool.”
Breezy chalked up disappointing sales of 2009’s Graffiti to poor timing. It was released less than a year after the Rihanna incident. “My last Graffiti album was only 100,000, but it was a lot more added to it back then,” he said. “Right now it’s a more comfortable position. People are accepting the music now.”
During his visit to the radio station, he also confirmed that his next single from F.A.M.E. will be the Michael Jackson and SWV-sampled “She Ain’t You.”
After conquering the charts, Nicki Minaj’s next frontier may be television. The Young Money raptress is reportedly in talks with Simon Cowell to be a judge on the U.S. edition of his talent competition “The X Factor.”
The Harajuku Barbie met with Cowell in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, according to Page Six. “Simon thinks Nicki is fantastic. She’s sassy, she looks great, and she has bags of personality,” says a source.
The hip-hop diva’s casting as a judge would help the show appeal to a younger and more diverse audience. “Nicki has a large following and she fits well with the ethos of the show, which plans to usher in a new generation of musical talent,” adds the source. “‘X Factor’ is aiming for a younger audience. Those aged 12 and over can audition, and [the English version has] launched successful artists from other genres of music than pop.”
She is currently touring the country with Lil Wayne and nothing has been finalized. “This isn’t a done deal yet, but Nicki would be great for the show. She fits the ideal that ‘X Factor’ will be exciting, vibrant, and different. And the show would also be great for her career.”
Former Island Def Jam CEO and Chairman L.A. Reid was officially announced as one of the judges for the singing competition, set to premiere this fall on Fox.
Rico Love hit the lab last week with Teairra Mari at Miami’s Circle House Studios for a Division 1 recording session. The beat artisan, who is executive producing the former Roc-A-Fella princess’ sophomore album, let the cameras roll as Teairra went in the booth to lay sultry vocals for her new single “That’s All Me” over the instrumental from Puff Daddy and the Family’s “It’s All About the Benjamins.”
Lil Wayne introduced his newest discovery Porcelain Black during the first stop on his “I Am Music II” tour in Providence, Rhode Island, this week. Part Cruella de Vil, part Lady Gaga, the 25-year-old glam-rocker took the stage before her mentor and had concertgoers asking, “Who’s that chick?”
Formerly signed to Virgin Records, she is now working with hitmaker RedOne on her Universal Republic debut. Her first single, “This Is What Rock N Roll Looks Like,” features Wayne and is slated to hit iTunes on March 29.
Kanye West released his video for “All of the Lights” from his platinum-selling album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Instead of extensive pre-promotion and hype, the video was announced only about an hour or so before it was set to debut Saturday (February 19).
The Black Mamba,” directed by Robert Rodriguez staring Kobe Bryant, Danny Trejo, Bruce Willis and Kanye West is a six-minute short movie/ commercial produced by Nike that will be shown in select theaters.
Dre Black So Fresh 