Soulja Boy Makes It Rain at 21st Birthday

Soulja Boy didn’t cop a $15 million private jet, but he still lived large at his 21st birthday celebration. The now legal rapper tore up Miami’s South Beach  Club Play with some of his famous friends including Sean Kingston, Trina, Trae the Truth, Just Blaze, and Triple C’s, partying until the early morning. He made it rain as scantily-clad women worked the poles, and was presented with a multi-tiered cake in the shape of a crown.
“I feel so good. This is the best day of my life,” an elated Soulja told his family and friends. “I want to thank God for letting me be alive right now.”
Check out some footage of S.B. spreading the wealth on his big night.

 

Lauryn Hill Back on Stage After Baby

Only a week after giving birth to her sixth child, a boy named Marley, Lauryn Hill returned to the stage looking better than ever. The former Fugees member traded in her oversized maternity clothes for something a little sexier. During her set at the L.A. Rising Festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Ms. Hill showed some skin in a white bra and floral-print skirt with matching blue coat. She strutted to the stage in a pair of white cutout high-heeled boots baring her legs. That’s one hot mama!

Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige Support Russell Simmons at Art for Life Benefit

Jennifer Hudson brought the house down for a good cause. The Grammy-winning singer lent her powerful pipes to Russell Simmons’ 12th Annual Art for Life Benefit at the music mogul’s estate in the Hamptons on Saturday. The Def Jam founder was joined by his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons, brothers Rev Run and Danny Simmons, nieces Angela and Vanessa Simmons, and the rest of his family. VIPs including Mary J. Blige, Taraji P. Henson, and L.A. Reid bid on unique items to help raise money for his non-profit organization and Miri Ben-Ari entertained guests by playing the violin.

Diddy Puffs Away in Saint-Tropez

Diddy knows how to work hard and play even harder. The hip-hop mogul hit the shores of Saint-Tropez in the French Riviera for a weekend of fun in the sun. Dressed in a red shirt, white trousers, black loafers, and a straw hat, he trudged through the sand while making his way to Le Club 55. Once situated in the VIP section, Puff puffed on a cigar with director Anthony Mandler and posed for pics with his female admirers. Just another day in the life of a Bad Boy.

Papoose Snubs The Majors, Still American Dreamin'

New York rapper Papoose has decided to stop waiting for major label support and will finally drop his long-awaited Nacirema Dream debut album independently.


According to reports, Pap has managed to snag guest features from rap stars such as Jim Jones and Jadakiss.


Rapper Papoose is prepping the release of his upcoming album Nacirema Dream, due to be released via the rapper's own independent label Honor B4 Money Records. Papoose has recruited Erykah Badu, Jim Jones and Jadakiss for appearances on the project. Busta Rhymes and Lloyd Banks have already appeared on the pre-release single "Party Bout to Pop (Remix)," and Papoose' incarcerated fiancee Remy Ma guested on "Bucked Naked (Remix)." The album was originally supposed to be released on Jive five years ago. But issues with the label forced him to depart after only a year. The release date hasn't been made public as of yet. (Hip Hop Blog)

Game Ready For Lil Wayne Face-Off, "[Weezy's] My N*gga, But 'R.E.D.'s' Gonna Be Album Of The Year"

West Coast rapper Game is ready for a retail battle with Lil Wayne's upcoming Tha Carter IV as both projects are slated to drop at the end of August.
Despite his admiration for Weezy",Game believes his R.E.D. Album will easily mark the year's best project.

"The R.E.D. Album, if I can say [it] - pardon Tha Carter IV; [Weezy] is my n*gga and I can't wait to hear that, cop it and then check it, but the R.E.D. Album is gonna be album of the year," Game said in an interview. "I gotta say it. I've been working on it so long, and I have anybody who's anybody on it - major players that are contributing. Sh*t's gonna be crazy." (Hip Hop DX)Although Game views Weezy as competition, he is currently considering a switch to the rapper's Cash Money Records label home.
With only one more album left on his current deal (he's back on Interscope after being shuffled between the 'Scope and Geffen during his feud with 50 Cent) following The , they want to win and I been winning and want to continue to win." (XXL Mag)R.E.D. Album, Game said he expects to reach a new agreement with Cash Money sooner rather than later. "We been playing with the idea of going over to Cash Money or trying to marry that and Black Wall Street," he explained. "So, we'll figure it out before the end of the day. I definitely think that's where I'll probably end up. Cause they winning.

Soulja Boy’s Rep: $55 Million Private Jet Purchase ‘Not True’

Soulja Boy has been caught in a lie. A day after touting his $55 million private jet purchase, a spokesman for the 21-year-old rapper is denying the reports.



Soulja’s publicist Greg Miller issued a statement to TMZ saying that the “elaborate rumors” are “not true” despite previous claims from his management.


On Friday, two members of Soulja’s team, Shai Storm and his assistant, claimed that the “Turn My Swag On” hitmaker had dropped $55 million on a G5 jet as a 21st birthday present to himself.


Soulja Boy was even caught playing up the rumors. When TMZ spoke with him earlier this week, he said, “Hell yeah … I bought it.” He also bragged about his “G5 status” during a visit to a radio station.


The rapper celebrated his 21st birthday with some celebrity pals including Trina and Sean Kingston in Miami last night. The event reportedly cost $300,000, but there’s no word if that amount was accurate.

New Music: Drake – ‘Headlines’

Drake makes “Headlines” with the first single from his sophomore album Take Care, due October 24. The Young Money superstar, who had one of the biggest breakthroughs of 2010 with Thank Me Later, silences his critics on the bouncy Boi-1da and Noah “40” Shebib production.


“I had someone tell me I fell off, ooh I needed that/ And they want to see me pick back up, well where’d I leave it at?” raps Drizzy, who will headline the second annual OVO Fest in Toronto tomorrow.


“The whole process has been about slowing life down and really pinpointing emotions,” the Canadian rapper told Rolling Stone of his latest project, which will feature collaborations with Lil Wayne,Rick Ross and The Weeknd.

Listen below:

Video: Diggy Simmons – ‘Copy, Paste’

Everyone wants a piece of Diggy Simmons. The 16-year-old son of Rev Run gets hooked up to wires in a lab as technicians try to clone his legendary DNA in the Phil the God-directed video for “Copy, Paste,” the first single off his debut album. The rap phenom shows off his rhymes and moves, dancing during a breakdown.


“‘Copy, Paste’ is about just giving an anthem to original people, innovators, people that feel like their style’s been copy, pasted,” Diggy told Rap-Up.com on set in Los Angeles. “I’m in a laboratory and I’m hooked up to wires and different stuff. I have like a bandage over my stomach. There’s laboratory girls in the scene, but it’s just about them trying to copy and paste me.”


Watch the video below:

Brandy Plots Career Comeback in New Docu-Series [Trailer]

After starring in VH1’s “Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business,” Brandy ventures out on her own in the trailer for her docu-series “On My Own.” The single mother plots a career comeback following bumps in the road, including the disappointing sales of her 2008 album Human.


“I really feel like this is my last chance and we gotta kill it,” says Brandy, while acknowledging her past blunders. “I’m bringing everything I got, everything I have to this project.”


She introduces her new team and shares her unbreakable bond with daughter Sy’rai. “Unconditional love, it’s something that you can’t explain. It’s beyond. I’d die for her,” reveals Brandy.


The 32-year-old singer’s new album will trace back to her R&B roots and feature input from her fans. “I just want to give my fans what they deserve,” she explains.

Kanye, Jay-Z Receive Protest Letter From Indie Stores

Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Jay-Z and Kanye West's joint collaboration 'Watch the Throne,' set to hit iTunes exclusively on August 8 and digital retailers on August 12, but not everyone is pleased with the impending effort.

On Thursday (July 28), the team who created Record Store Day -- a day independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music -- devised a letter that announced their displeasure in the 'Watch the Throne' release strategy. The open letter, which has amassed more than 50 signatures from indie store representatives and will reportedly be published in a forthcoming issue of Billboard magazine, details the "great damage" excluding the stores and limiting the initial LP release to iTunes and Best Buy will do.

"We know that you are busy, and that you put most of your energies into creating great music, but we are writing to you in the hope that you will hear us and take the time to rectify this matter," the letter reads. "As representatives of the independent record store music community, we are asking you to allow record stores and music fans equal access to your new album."

watchthethrone.com

Read the full letter below.

Dear Jay-Z and Kanye West,

Independent record stores serve our communities. Our passion is music, and
we convey this to the millions of customers who come to our stores. That's
what we do.

Four years ago independent music stores across the country banded together
to create Record Store Day. Our goal was to counter the negative media
coverage about the supposed demise of record stores brought on by the
closing of the Tower stores and to respond to the music business practices
that fans deemed to be manipulative and onerous.

We reached out to the artist community to see if they would join us, and the
response was overwhelming with words of support coming in from Paul
McCartney, Erykah Badu, Tom Waits, Chuck D, the Foo Fighters and countless
others. Working with their label partners, many of these musicians created
limited edition works of art, including vinyl and CDs made especially for
music specialty retail. Hundreds of these artists took the opportunity to
perform, DJ, and interact with their fans in our record stores. Here in the
US, Record Store Day lifted the entire music business by 8% and contributed
to the growth in music sales. Record Store Day is now one of the biggest
music events in history with millions of people participating worldwide. We
also continue to work throughout the year with labels, artists and managers
and run regular promotions via physical independent retail and
recordstoreday.com.

We are responding to the bad news that your new album will not be available
to independent record stores until after iTunes gets a window of
exclusivity. We also learned that the deluxe version (which is what the true
music fans who shop our stores will want by an overwhelming majority) will
only be available at Best Buy exclusively for a period of time. We believe
this is a short-sighted strategy, and that your decisions will be doing
great damage to over 1,700 independent record stores -- stores that have
supported you and your music for years.

We know that you are busy, and that you put most of your energies into
creating great music, but we are writing to you in the hope that you will
hear us and take the time to rectify this matter. As representatives of the
independent record store music community, we are asking you to allow record
stores and music fans equal access to your new album.

With the utmost respect,

Dedry Jones, The Music Experience
Mike Dreese, Newbury Comics
Judy Negley, Independent Records
Mike Batt, Silver Platters
Tobago Benito, DBS Sounds
Brian Faber, Zia Records
Karen Pearson, Amoeba Music
Bryan Burkert, The Sound Garden
Mike Wise, Monster
Rob Roth, Vintage Vinyl
Joe Nardone, Jr., Gallery of Sound
Jonathan Fernandez, Rasputin Music
Dilyn Radakovitz, Dimple Records
Dustin Hansen, Graywhale Entertainment
Bill Kennedy, BK Music
Jim Bland, Plan Nine
Steve Wilson, Kiefs
Tom King, Central Square Records
Alayna Hill Alderman, Richard Storms, Record Archive
Karl Groeger, Looney Tunes
Paul Epstein, Twist and Shout
Nancy Salzer, Salzer's Records
Rick Ziegler, Indy CD
Laura, Finders Records
Deon Borchard, Nic Fritze, The Long Ear
Chuck Oken, Rhino /Mad Platter
Allan Miller, John Bevis, Disc Exchange
Charlotte Kubat, Magnolia Thunderpussy
John Kunz, Waterloo Records
Chris Avino, Rainbow Records
Mike Fratt, Homers
Rich Koch, Off the Record
Skip Hermans, Skip's Record and CD World
Jason Patton, Oz Music
Quinn Bishop, Cactus Records
John Timmons, ear X tacy
Lou Russell, Lou's Records
Roger Weiss, Streetlight Records
Terry Currier, Music Millenium
Andrew Chinnici, Lakeshore Record Exchange
Michael Bunnell, The Record Exchange
Mike White, Boo Boo Records
Steve Baron, CD Central
Eric Levin, Criminal Records
Pat O'connor, Culture Clash
Dan Plunkett, End Of An Ear
Paula Kret, Exile On Main St
Chris Penn, Good Records
Doyle Davis, Grimey's
Travis Searle, Guestroom Records
Jim Mcguinn, Hot Poop
Isaac Slusarenko, Jackpot Records
Jason Nickey & Heath Byers, Landlocked Music
Todd Robinson, Luna Music
Darren & Jim Blase, Shake It
Anna & Chris Brozek, Slowtrain
Kimber Lanning, Stinkweeds
Tom "Papa" Ray, Vintage Vinylgg

Mariah Carey Makes Loopy Television Appearance

Mariah Carey has been relatively quiet since giving birth to twins back in April, in comparison to husband Nick Cannon, who some say hasn't been quiet enough. But the singer made up for lost time with a marathon Paula Abdul-inspired appearance on the Home Shopping Network on Sunday night (July 24).

During the brilliant, two-hour spot, Mariah made up new words, rambled about phantom butterflies and repeatedly complained about her "bleak" pregnancy, while also selling her new lifestyle collection, which includes fragrance Lollipop Bling.

"No, I didn't select that name," she confessed, unprompted. "Sorry, it was something I couldn't undo. It wasn't my favorite name, but people love it."

"It's been a long time baby, and it has been a rough road," the 41-year-old diva lamented to the polite HSN host, before Cannon took her side. "I was in February. Honey, it was bleak for me."

Gawker edited together a four-minute video of the best moments of Mariah's appearance, which you can view below, and FourFour posted a video of her 71 mentions of the word "love," which was also translated into poetic verse.


      Watch Mariah Carey on the Home Shopping Network

Video: Chris Brown – ‘All About You’

It may be the dead of summer, but Chris Brown bundles up in his viral video for “All About You,” a bonus track off F.A.M.E. The clip, which stars a pre-blond Breezy, was filmed in the woods during winter and features snow-covered scenes and plenty of furry fashions. Breezy recently announced an August 5 date for his hip-hop mixtape Boy in Detention.

Pharrell Launches Qream Liqueur in Miami with Trina, Q-Tip, & Fat Joe

Pharrell continued the nationwide rollout of his Qream liqueur with a sexy soirée in Miami on Thursday night (July 28). The music impresario flew down south to launch the vodka-based, lactose-friendly cream with some help from his pals including Trina, Fat Joe, hitmakers Jim Jonsin and Rico Love, and Q-Tip, who DJ’d the event.
In an interview with Rap-Up TV, Skateboard P explained how he came up with the concept. “I looked at the market, I looked at the holes out there and it felt like indulgence and women were the two things that were being neglected,” he said. “So what I decided to do was design a drink that made sense for women that everybody could enjoy, but women knew it was for them.”
Pour over more pics from the sweet celebration below.

Odd Future Announces Fall Tour Dates

Hide your kids, hide your wife. Hip-hop’s most raucous crew is coming to a city near you.

Cali collective Odd Future has announced dates for a North American trek. The 27-date “Golf Wang” tour kicks off September 28 in San Diego and travels to Vancouver, Seattle, New York, Miami, and Atlanta, wrapping November 8 in Tempe, Arizona. Tickets will go on sale next week.

The 11-member outfit has been performing select shows in the U.S. and abroad, while leader Tyler, the Creator released his solo album Goblin earlier this year and was recently nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards for his viral sensation “Yonkers.”

Find out when you can catch Tyler, Frank Ocean, and the rest of the gang diving off a stage near you.

“Golf Wang” Tour 2011

September 28 – San Diego, CA – House of BluesSeptember 30 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield
October 2 – Portland, OR – Roseland Ballroom
October 3 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue
October 4 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Market
October 7 – Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue
October 8 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
October 9 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
October 11 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre
October 12 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
October 14 – Chicago, IL – Metro
October 15 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
October 16 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
October 18 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
October 19 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
October 21 – Boston, MA – Royale
October 22 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
October 23 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
October 24 – Baltimore, MD – Sonar
October 27 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
October 28 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
October 30 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Fest
October 31 – Miami, FL – Fillmore
November 2 – Tampa, FL – Ritz Ybor
November 3 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham
November 6 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
November 8 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre

                                     Watch tyler,the creator ft. Frank Ocean-She

                               

Frank Ocean Is 'Thinking About You' in New Song -- Listen

Frank Ocean is a hot commodity, not only for his emotive musical stylings but because he's set to appear on one of the year's highly anticipated effort's: Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne.' While his fans will have to wait on what's to come with that work, he's giving them something to tied them over.

The crooner doesn't like to be tied down to one genre, but a newly released track finds him settling into the soulful sounds of R&B. 'Thinking About You' is a mellow groove detailing Frank's fondness for someone who's taken hold of his heart.

"And though you were my first time, a new feel/ It won't ever get old, not in my soul/ Not in my spirit, keep me alive/ We'll go down this road, 'til it turns from color to black and white," he sings.

The Odd Future affiliate's 'Nostaligia, Ultra' mixtape, which he released on his own, was set to get an official re-release from his label, Def Jam, this month, however, the project has yet to be unvieled. Songs like the effort's 'Novacane' skyrocketed the singer to the Billboard charts.

Stay tuned for Frank's work on 'Watch the Throne,' debuting August 8 on iTunes.

                                         Listen to Frank Ocean's 'Thinking About You'

Are Jennifer Lopez and Diddy Back Together?

Only two weeks after announcing her split from husband of seven years, Marc Anthony, rumor has it that Jennifer Lopez is attempting to rekindle her romance with Sean "Diddy" Combs.

According to BET, anonymous sources from both J.Lo and Diddy's camps have shed some light on the reports.

Diddy's source told BET that Jennifer is "the love of his life" and his "fantasy girl," but the source fears that the reunion will end badly for Diddy, who was already dumped at the time when he "needed Jennifer the most."

The source allegedly also admits that the public shouldn't be surprised if Lopez and Combs walk a red carpet together very soon.

Lopez, 42, and Combs, 41, shared a high-profile, two-and-a-half year relationship in the '90s, which ended shortly after Diddy was put on trial for weapons charges after a 1999 shooting at a New York City night club.

Diddy was later acquitted of the charges, but the stress of the trial proved too much for the relationship to withstand.

The source from Jen's side put in her two cents saying, "Puff wouldn't be my first choice for her, but then again he was always very supportive of her sex symbol image and never got mad when she wore sexy clothes. He actually encouraged it."

There have also been eye witness reports that the exes were spotted together in New York City this week.

                                               Watch Jennifer Lopez's 'On the Floor' Feat. Pitbull

Soulja Boy Buys $55 Million Jet as Birthday Present to Himself

Soulja Boy celebrated his 21st birthday Thursday (July 28) and he wasn't set on throwing back shots with his boys but rather shelling out way more than an average person's salary on a private jet.

According to TMZ, the 'Mean Mug' performer dropped $55 million on a G5 jet. The news came care of his management, who also revealed that the pricey ride originally cost $35 million but totaled the whopping amount when the southern rhymer chose to incorporate added extravagances.

The Georgia native dropped dime on 12 custom Italian leather seats, flat screen TVs, four liquor bars, a special travertine tiled floor and Brazilian hardwood cabinets. Besides those additions, the rapper is reportedly renovating the existing bathroom and painting the entire jet with his logo.

Though he hasn't dropped a new album and his last LP, 'The DeAndre Way' flopped at 13,360 copies sold in its first week, the effort's lead single, 'Pretty Boy Swag,' has totaled well over 1,000,000 units, which may be a reason he can afford such luxuries as a multi-million dollar jet.

Last week, Soulja Boy released his 'Bernaul Arnault' mixtape, featuring songs 'Came Out the Water' and 'Fire Blunts.'

Eminem and Audi Settle Over 'Lose Yourself' Rip-Off

As earlier reported, Eminem's publishing camp filed suit against German car manufacturer Audi for using a blatant, unauthorized rip of the rapper's 'Lose Yourself' in a recent ad.

The Detroit Free Press has now revealed that Audi has settled out of court with the famous Detroit MC and has agreed to "support the revitalization of Detroit by contributing to selected social projects."

During the 2011 Superbowl, Eminem was featured in a stirring commercial for Detroit car company Chrysler, to promote the Motor City's return to its automotive glory days. Though exact terms have not been specified, Eminem's publishing company, 8 Mile Style, expects Audi to throw its weight behind several Imported from Detroit charity projects

New Music: Chris Brown – ‘Open Road (I Love Her)’ [Full]

Chris Brown pours his heart out on “Open Road (I Love Her),” which may appear on his next album Fortune. The piano ballad features tin whistles reminiscent of the Titanic theme song as the R&B crooner sings about his regrets over a past relationship. “And I feel so bad ’cause you wouldn’t do the same to me, but I know what your weakness is,” he laments.

“If the whole song doesn’t leak then it’s going on fortune!” wrote Chris. “I have so many songs that I’ve recorded in my opinion that are siiiccccckkkk! I just really hope people appreciate the diversity on Fortune!”

UPDATE: Listen to the full song below.

Video: Ace Hood f/ Chris Brown – ‘Body 2 Body’

Ace Hood and Chris Brown go “Body 2 Body” with some beautiful ladies in the video for their collaboration off the Florida rapper’s upcoming album Blood, Sweat, & Tears (Aug. 9). The Dayo-directed clip was shot in the Hollywood Hills and features cameos from Rick Ross and DJ Khaled.

UPDATE: 50 Cent Gives Dr. Dre A Pass, "He's Done Nothing But Help Me In My Career"

It appears 50 Cent has experienced a sudden change of heart by deciding to not leak a Dr. Dre record hours prior to promising to deliver the track himself.
Writing on Twitter, 50 said his respect for Dre and Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine have altered his initial threat.
"I don't know how I can record 41 song for my album and the one song I give interscope leaks But I don't care its good music," he tweeted" July 27th.
"I wouldn't leak dre's record he has done nothing but help me in my career. jimmy has always been supportive of me.""I hate when I can't present my music the way. I feel it should be but f*ck it check out I'm ON IT" (50 Cent's Twitter).

Beyonce Wants Fans' Help for 'Best Thing I Never Had' Video

Beyonce is filming an alternate version of her 'Best Thing I Never Had' music video and wants your help to make it happen.

Queen B is a blushing bride in the wedding day-themed original video for her second '4' single, which is set to get a matrimonial makeover by way of fan submissions. Beyonce wants real photos and video footage from her fans' own wedding days.

The original video also includes a fictional flashback of Bey with her deadbeat boyfriend at prom, so fans' prom footage is also welcome -- if you are so brave.

Fans can upload their wedding or prom video footage to YouTube and their photos to Flickr with the tag #BeyonceBestThing, through the August 12 deadline.

The chosen submissions will appear on BeyonceOnline and Celebuzz and, of course, the upcoming 'Best Thing I Never Had' fan video!

Beyonce's plans for a 'Best Thing I Never Had' alternate video follow the recent surfacing of a smoking hot alternate version of her 'Run the World (Girls)' video.
                                        Watch Beyonce's 'Best Thing I Never Had'