Monthly Archives: February 2012

MI Exclusive: 12Things You ShouldKnow About IllegalMusic 2


Jude ‘M.I’ Abaga has had
impressive runs with the
release of his albums ‘ Talk
about it’ ‘MI2’ and mixtape
‘Illegal Music’ in the past. He’ll
be hoping to do the same when
he drops his ‘ Illegal Music 2’
mixtape in a matter of days.
NET got chatting with the
Chocolate City rapper who
broke down the mixtape in
detail.
So, right from the horse’s, here
are 12 things you should know
about his upcoming project…
1. It’s better than Illegal
Music the first edition. It has
more musical growth, it has
more interesting samples, and it
has better raps because I
featured a lot of great rappers,
a lot of great singers too.
2. People don’t know that I
produce beats but I produced
about 90 per cent of the mix
tape on my own, and what is
interesting is that on this
project I switched from Sonar
to Logic. (I know this is
probably like boring geek stuff
to most of you guys)
3. Controversial gist here
(Laughs). So I wanted to do a
song with Iceberg Slim on this
project and I thought it would
be cool to do a remix of
‘Deuces’ called ‘Truces‘,
however I saw the Jimmy JATT
freestyle and I wasn’t too
happy about that. So yeah, that
killed that idea.
4. On the song ‘Beg for it‘
featuring Matronomy and Funbi,
I used two different samples.
The shaker on it is from
a Robin Thicke song, and the
sample on the chorus is
a Drake song.
5. I basically recorded the
whole of Illegal Music 2 with
the worst case of Writer’s Block
I have ever been through. It
took me months sometimes to
finish a verse. For all artistes
out there, you gotta learn to
pace yourself because you can
definitely overwork yourself.
6. At the end of Illegal Music 2, I
had to bury my Behringer B2
Mic, which I had used almost
throughout the whole
of MI2 and the Illegal Music 2.
Good bye Mic… I’ll miss you, sort
of. Say hello everyone to the
new mic on the block; My Rode
mic.
7. While recording
‘superhuman‘ with HHP, he
spoke of his friend who was
seriously ill. A few weeks after
returning to South Africa, he
tweeted at me to tell me his
friend had passed away. May
his soul rest in peace.
8. Kid Konnect sent me like 20
beats for illegal music, and at
the last moment, we decided to
use all that music for a
different project called ‘ A Kid
Called Abaga‘. Watch out for
that. And shout out to Kid
Konnect.. He is a real brother…
Few of those left!
9. My favourite session of the
lot was probably working with
rap duo Show Dem Camp. We
just had fun, chatted and
laughed all day till the song was
done. In other news, buy their
album. It is truly a hip-hop
classic.
10. There will be no ‘Choc Boy’
song. Jesse jags and Ice Prince
were, and are both so busy, it’s
hard for schedules to meet up.
So to make up we are thinking
of doing a whole Choc Boy
album.
11. My fav sixteen (more like
32) bars of the mixtape are by
this guy called Bogey. I don’t
think anyone this year can
have an ‘iller’ intro to a verse.
He goes, ‘I love hiphop to death
I am Romeo in a body bag‘.
Whoa! He also says the line
about eating clowns so they
digesting (die jesting). Watch
out for the guy.
12. I made this as an ode to hip-
hop, with a focus to promote
upcoming rap talent. It is
probably the most selfless I
have been musically. I wanted
everyone to sound their best
on it regardless of how it made
me look. I often tell rappers
‘Come harder.. This is illegal
music 2’. So as you listen, get to
know a lot of the guys..

Meryl Streep onOscar Win- ‘I CouldHear Half ofAmerica Going ‘OhNo, Not Again”


The Iron lady is back!
Last night Hollywood
actress Meryl Streep bagged
her third Oscar award at
the 84th Academy Awards,
her first in 30 years.
Streep who won the ‘Best
Actress’ award for her role
as Margaret Thatcher in 2011
movie ‘The Iron Lady’ came
dressed in a golden gown,
blending in with the theme
colour of the awards.
The last time the US actress
(and occasional singer) won the
award was in 1982 after her
first win in 1979.
Streep edged out Glenn Close,
Viola Davis, Rooney
Mara and Michelle Williams to
win the big prize.
Pundits describe Streep’s win as
a close tie between herself and
African-American Davis who
was hoping to break Halle
Berry’s record as being the only
woman of African American
descent to have won the
award for Best Actress. Davis
played lead role in drama movie
‘ The Help’.
Revered movie director one-
time Oscar winner Martin
Scorsese lost the ‘Best
Director’ award to Michel
Hazanavicius but was
honoured by almost every
winner of the night. Scorsese
was nominated for the
adventure-drama film ‘Hugo’
which bagged five awards, the
highest of the night alongside
‘The Artist’.
Scorsese won the award for
Best Director for the same
movie at the Golden Globe
Awards in January this year
and was a recipient of the
BAFTA Academy Fellowship
Award in February
The emotional moment though
most have been when African-
American Octavia Spencer won
the award for ‘Best Supporting
Actress’ for the drama ‘ The
Help’. Co-star
It was also a night for another
veteran Canadian theatre, film
and television actor Christopher
Plummer who walked away
with the ‘Best Supporting
Actor’ award for his role in the
2010 romantic comedy-drama
film ‘ Beginners’. It was the 82
year old’s first Oscar win.
The biggest OMG moment of
the night had to be
when Sacha Baron
Cohen came dressed as
‘General Aladeen’ from his
upcoming film ‘ The Dictator’
managing to upstage
Hollywood’s most beautiful
stars on the Oscar red carpet!
Full winners list below…
Best Cinematography: Robert
Richardson, ‘Hugo’
Best Art Direction: Dante
Ferretti and Francesca Lo
Schavo, ‘Hugo’
Best Costume Design: Mark
Bridges, ‘The Artist’
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and
J. Roy Helland, ‘The Iron Lady’
Best Foreign Language Film:
‘A Separation’
Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, ‘The Help’
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and
Angus Wall, ‘The Girl With the
Dragon Tattoo’
Best Sound Editing: Phillip
Stockton and Eugene Gearty,
‘Hugo’
Best Sound Mixing: Tom
Fleischman and John Midgley,
‘Hugo’
Best Documentary:
‘Undefeated’
Best Animated Feature:
‘Rango’
Best Visual Effects: ‘Hugo’
Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer,
‘Beginners’
Best Original Score: Ludovic
Bource, ‘The Artist’
Best Original Song: Bret
McKenzie, ‘Man or Muppet’
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon
and Jim Rash, ‘The Descendants’
Best Original Screenplay:
Woody Allen, ‘Midnight in Paris’
Best Live Action Short: ‘The
Shore’
Best Documentary Short:
‘Saving Face’
Best Animated Short: ‘The
Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr.
Morris Lessmore’
Best Director: Michel
Hazanavicius, ‘The Artist’
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, ‘The
Artist’
Best Actress: Meryl Streep,
‘The Iron Lady’
Best Picture: ‘The Artist’

Twitter HackerTargets Flavour,D’Banj, Don Jazzy,Wizkid, Others


If last night’s threats are
anything to go by, then
celebrities using social
networks like Twitter need to
be very worried. Big names like
D’banj, Banky W, Flavour, Wizkid
and Don Jazzy came under
attack yesterday, as hackers
threatened to ‘expose you all’.
As if to show their seriousness,
the hacker(s) took over
Flavour’s official handle @
flavournabania for several
minutes, embarking on a
tweeting spree and totally
compromising the act’s account
What was the first thing
Flavour’s attackers did? They
immediately replaced his image
a with random nude picture
and changed his user name to
‘Hacked’. The handle @
flavournabania was however
not tampered with.
‘#Hacked #Hacked #Hacked’, the
tweets read. ‘We’ve had access
to this account for a while.
We’ve had access to so many
other celeb Twitter and
Facebook accounts’, more
tweets read.
The hackers say over 30 celebs
accounts (Twitter and
Facebook) have been hacked
and that they will ‘expose’
them all.
‘oh @iamDbanj’s account was
the easiest to get into. Dumb
password. @Don Jazzyis next,
@2faceidibia also…Banky W
then @wizkidayo Must be
hacked!!!! We’ll expose you all.’.
Flavour’s account has since
been suspended; and Don Jazzy,
an ardent Tweeter with over
200,000 followers became
immediately concerned. ‘Kai if
them hack my haccount hi go
cry o. I dey beg o. i don delete
halllllll my DM sha dey wait’, he
tweeted.

Celine Dion Cancels Shows,Needs Vocal Rest


Sure, Celine Dion **’s heart will
go on, but as of now, her voice
cannot. The pop singer has
announced the cancellation of 10
shows at The Colosseum at
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
through March 18, due to
weakness in her right vocal
chord.
According to a press release, Dion
experienced difficulty while
performing at her Vegas last
week, and headed to Los Angeles
for an examination at the UCLA
Medical Center. A doctor advised
the singer to rest her voice for
six to eight weeks, and Dion is
obliging.
“I tried to sing at my sound-
check last week, and I had no
control of my voice
whatsoever,” says Dion, who
began her three-year residency
at Caesars last March. “We
thought that after a few days
rest I would improve but it
wasn’t getting any better…I
guess it was worse than I
thought.”
Dion will return to The Colosseum
for a planned run from June 9 to
Aug. 19. Tickets for the cancelled
performances will be refunded.

‘The Voice’: Christina AguileraSings Impromptu Duet;Contestants Show Their Blues


Memphis-based guitarist and
singer Preston Shannon made
good case for the blues on the
final blind edition episode of
“The Voice” Monday (Feb. 27).
While the 64-year-old blues
veteran with five solo albums
under his belt did not get any
judges to turn their chairs
around, he got more primetime
exposure than at any moment in
his career.
Shannon knocked around various
Memphis bands until he landed in
Shirley Brown’s group before he
wound up leading his own
outfit; in 1996, his Rounder
Records release “Midnight in
Memphis” put him on the blues
map. While his performance did
not win him a spot on any of the
four coaches’ teams, it may well
have helped earn him a few fans
who bothered to Google him
after the show ended. He
certainly received some well-
earned praise from the judging
panel.
Not coincidentally, the final
round in which each of the
judges — Christina Aguilera **,
Adam Levine **, CEE LO GREEN
and Blake Shelton ** — sets their
teams of 12, the final additions
relied on traditional vocal forms
such as the blues to make the
cut. Whitney Myer, who leads a
funk band out of Reno that
includes her father and uncle,
gave a bluesy, Dave Matthews
**-inspired spin on Alicia Key
**’s “No One” that got all four
judges to hit their red buttons.
She went with Levine, who
compared her to Mary J. Blige.
Likewise, Orlando Napier has a
family blues band and hopes to
bring his saxophonist father
onto the show. His soulful
version of John Mayer **’s
“Waiting for the World to
Change” also landed him on
Levine’s team last night.
Sera Hill, a front desk clerk at a
hotel, drew out the blues roots
of Mary J. Blige **’s “I’m Goin’
Down” and even got her new
judge, Aguilera, to join her for a
bit of give and take on the
chorus. In that short burst of
vocal activity Aguilera
demonstrated her ability to oust
any competitor on “The Voice,”
but it also displayed her
willingness to approach her
charges as peers. The potential
for tight intermingling gives
“The Voice” a leg up on its
competition.
Otherwise, the final edition of
the auditions felt predictable –
the contestants who appeared
full of themselves or in need of a
change to escape the riches of
the family business were sent
packing. The Oklahoma sorority
gal, Adley Stomp, who has been
singing country music for less
than a year, wound up on
Shelton’s team. Meanwhile, a
mediocre performance of
Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy”
wound up scoring deep-voiced
contestant Cheesa a last-minute
spot on Cee Lo’s team of a dozen
contestants.
Proof that the conceit of blind
auditions works came when the
two portly Shields brothers from
rural Virginia belted out Gen X’s
“Dancing With Myself” and won
the a red button push from
Green. If he had seen them, it
would have likely been a no, but
the promise of a duo belting out
honest rock’n'roll was too good
of a dream to pass up. Perhaps
Aguilera felt the same when she
gave a nod to Lee Koch, a baker
out of Temecula, Calf., who
delivered an off-balance
rendition of “Like a Rolling
Stone.” She said she liked his
harmonica solo, but when you
see whiny singing a Bob Dylan **
song, you know you’re in
trouble; odds are he is among
the first to go in the next round.
Now, if Preston Shannon is
playing some Dylan, that would
be interesting to hear.

Owl City ’80, 85 Percent’ Donewith New Album


Young says he’s shooting for a
“smack dab in the middle of
summer, late June or early July”
release for the new album, with
a first single in mid-May. Until
then, fans can check out the new
DVD/Blu-Ray “Owl City — Live
From Los Angeles,” which was
filmed at Club Nokia and also
includes backstage footage and
interviews. Young is particularly
pleased that the video captures
the expanded live band he put
together for the tour.
“(The video) actually was kind of
a spur of the moment thing,”
Young notes. “My manager said
to me that the live show had
come so far from where I
initially began, which of course
was just me and a laptop — the
most boring show in the world!
(laughs) It came into it’s own
and became a cinematic sort of
experience. So he said, ‘Why
don’t we get a film crew
and…capture it. It would be kind
of a shame to have this great
(show) put together and not
have anything to remember it by
after the tour was over.’ So we
did it, and it really worked out
great. I’m really glad we have
(the show) preserved).”

Erykah Badu’s Allah Body ArtDerails Malaysia Concert


The photograph of Badu, which
also appears on her official fan
website, attracted attention
after Malaysia’s most widely
read English-language daily, The
Star, published it Monday.
On Tuesday, the newspaper
apologized to Muslims for what
it called an “oversight,” saying it
deeply regretted any offense
sparked by the photo, which
was “inadvertently published.”
The Home Ministry summoned
The Star’s editors to explain the
photograph, which caused some
Muslim activists to demand the
newspaper’s suspension.

Stars to Celebrate JohnnyCash’s 80th With Concert


A diverse all-star lineup will
celebrate the 80th birthday of
Johnny Cash with an April
concert.
Kenny Chesney, Kris
Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams,
Ray LaMontagne and Jamey
Johnson are among the
performers scheduled to appear
in “We Walk the Line: A
Celebration of the Music of
Johnny Cash” on April 20 at the
Austin City Limits Live venue in
Austin, Texas.
Chris Cornell, Ronnie Dunn,
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Amy
Lee and Shooter Jennings also
will perform. Tickets go on sale
Wednesday.
Though Cash died in 2003 at 71,
interest in his music and legacy
continue. Several celebrations are
planned. Members of the Cash
family gathered Sunday in Dyess,
Ark., on what would have been
Cash’s 80th birthday for the
groundbreaking on a museum at
his boyhood home.

Estelle Thrives With Solid ‘Allof Me’ Album


Estelle ** prefers to take her
time. It took her four years to
produce her 2008 album, “Shine,”
which included her breakthrough
Grammy-winning single,
“American Boy,” featuring Kanye
West **.
Now, after nearly another four
years, Estelle releases her latest
album, “All of Me” — and once
again, it’s well worth the wait.
Estelle sings with her Brit-
accented delivery mixed with
uptempo dancehall tracks and
heartfelt ballads that touch the
soul. She bounces back-and-forth
from rapping and singing on
“Speak Ya Mind” and “The Life,”
informing listeners that she
hasn’t missed a step since her
last album a few years ago.
The track names might indicate
that “All of Me” is all about the
somber state of breakups. But
that is not the case with Estelle,
who focuses on the positive
aspects of departing from her
mate.
On the Akon ** penned “Thank
You,” Estelle shows gratitude
toward her cheating mate for
their inevitable split. She pours
her heart out on the chorus:
“These tears I cry sure won’t be
the last/ They will not be the
last… no/ This pain inside which
never seems to pass/ It never
seems to pass me by/ So I thank
you/ Said I thank you/ Yes I
thank you/ For making me a
woman.”
“Wonderful Life” has an easy-
going feel, as Estelle sings about
trying to find the simple
pleasures of life during a rocky
day. On the album’s single, “Break
My Heart,” featuring Rick Ross
**, the singer struggles with her
trust issues on the midtempo,
radio-friendly track.
In total, Estelle’s album is a solid
piece of work, and she proves
that her “all” is more than
enough.

Sex Pistols Ink Record DealWith Universal


The Sex Pistols have signed a
record deal with Universal,
according to the BBC [ LINK]. An
“expanded and repackaged
edition” of the band’s Never
Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex
Pistols album will be released
later this year.
Universal said the release will tie
in with the record’s 35th
anniversary.
“To be given the opportunity to
re-evaluate the Sex Pistols
catalogue is every music lover’s
dream,” said Universal’s Karen
Simmonds.
“We’re looking forward to
working with the band and
celebrating their impact on
worldwide culture.”
The band, best known for hits
such as Anarchy In The UK and
God Save The Queen, formed in
1975.
Fronted by Johnny Rotten, the
group forged a reputation that
encouraged fans to rise and
rebel against the establishment.
In 1976 they signed a contract
with record label EMI, but the
deal became short-lived after the
group caused controversy
during an appearance on Thames
Television’s Today program.
The live interview was littered
with expletives and led to a
furor for days afterwards in the
national newspapers.
Further negative publicity led to
EMI, which has since been
bought by Universal and Sony,
releasing the band from their
contract.

Chris Brown paranoid about attending Rihanna’s party


Apparently, Chris Brown didn’t want anyone to know he was at Rihanna’s birthday party. According to TMZ, the singer was so concerned with keeping it secret that he forced partygoers to sign confidentiality agreements. Brown’s rep later told TMZ that only workers and people trying to take pictures of him were actually asked to sign the agreements. Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, and Chris Martin also made an appearance at Rihanna’s party.

Extra: Rihanna’s cake was in the shape of a giant spliff, and featured an icing figure of the singer straddling on top

Diddy announces Revolt TV!


Diddy television is official. After weeks of unconfirmed reports and unofficial announcements, Sean “Diddy” Combs took to YouTube on Tuesday to introduce Revolt TV, his music-themed cable network. The Bad Boy CEO dramatically began his three-and-a-half-minute announcement saying, “The revolution will be televised.” Revolt, which will be distributed by Comcast, is part of the company’s commitment to put more minority-run cable networks on television. Diddy added, “Revolt TV is bringing that revolution that television needs. I grew up watching BET and MTV and HBO and NBC, and I had a dream. I had a dream that one day I would get a chance, an opportunity to show my perspective coming from a musical standpoint.” Revolt TV is expected to go live at the end of 2012.

Shakira signs with Roc Nation!


Latin singer Shakira has officially signed a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, as reported by TheSource.com. From a business standpoint, the deal will greatly benefit both parties involved. Jay now has a globally recognized artist to help diversify his roster, and Shakira will have the opportunity to expand her career and music style under his management. Big things are expected to come!

Shakira has sold 60-million albums and has won 12 Latin Billboard Awards, eight Latin GRAMMYS and two GRAMMYS.

Nicki Minaj loves her fans!


Nicki Minaj turned a lot of heads and also caused a lot of people to scratch their heads with her over-the-top performance at the GRAMMY Awards two weeks ago. While many were confused and disliked the performance, her dedicated fans stood by her. The rapper told us she has a deep relationship with her “Barbz”. Nicki Minaj’s new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, will arrive in April.

Pitbull, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj Rock NBA All-Star Game


Pitbull called on some super-friends while Nicki Minaj unveiled a new hit at the NBA All-Star Game, which took place in Orlando on Sunday night (Feb. 26). Pit brought out Ne-Yo, Nayer and unannounced performer Chris Brown during the halftime show, while the female rap star played her latest Hot 100 hit, “Starships,” during the player introductions.

After running through a medley of songs like “Krazy” and “Rain Over Me,” an all-black-clad Pitbull brought out “International Love” collaborator Chris Brown, who also presented a truncated version of his latest hit, “Turn Up The Music,” and some spirited dance moves. Soon, Ne-Yo and his fedora appeared on a platform to croon the new hook of “Give Me Everything,” and Nayer was also on hand, because, hey, why not? Before long, Orlando was a block party, and Pitbull, surrounded by sultry backup dancers, was the master of ceremonies.

Before tip-off, Nicki Minaj gave an elaborate performance of her uptempo new hit, “Starships,” which debuted at No. 9 last week on the Hot 100. After introducing the NBA East All-Stars (who lost the defense-free game 152-149 to the Western team), Minaj returned swapped wigs and turned on the sass for her past smash, “Super Bass.”

NBA Jams: 10 Slammin’ Songs For The All-Star Game

In earlier events at NBA All-Star Weekend, J. Cole, Common and Ne-Yo competed in the Celebrity All-Star Game on Friday night, while Flo Rida and Will.i.am performed during the Saturday Night events in Orlando. At the NBA All-Star Pregame Concert on Sunday night, Lil Wayne made a surprise appearance onstage following performances by Gym Class Heroes and J. Cole.

Finally, Mary J. Blige delivered a stirring rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before the 2012 All-Star Game got underway.

Adele’s ’21′ May Sell 300,000 In 22nd Week at No. 1


Adele’s massive sales figures just keep piling up.

Her “21″ set, which took home the Grammy Award for album of the year on Feb. 12, should spend its 22nd week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Industry sources suggest the album could sell another 300,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, Feb. 26.

This past week, the diva’s album — her second — reigned at No. 1 with 730,000 after the first full week post-Grammy Awards.

If “21″ is No. 1 for a 22nd week, it will be the longest run at No. 1 for an album since Prince and the Revolution’s “Purple Rain” soundtrack was tops for 24 weeks in 1984 and 1985.

The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 29.

Aiming for No. 2 next week is Whitney Houston’s “Whitney: the Greatest Hits,” with perhaps 150,000-170,000 sold. Adele and Houston’s sets might be the only two albums to surpass 100,000 this week, as the next-biggest seller looks to be Tyga’s new “Careless World.” It’s shaping up to sell around 80,000 to 90,000.

On Nielsen SoundScan’s Building chart (below), Adele is No. 1 while Tyga is at No. 3. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking — reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan’s tracking week (ending Sunday, Feb. 26) as reported by six major merchants.

(Houston’s “Greatest Hits” is absent from the Building Chart, as it does not include catalog [older] albums. However, “Hits” will be present on the Billboard 200 next week.)

fun.’s sophomore album, “Some Nights,” is at No. 2 on the Building chart and could arrive in the top five of the Billboard 200 next week. The effort is projected to sell around 50,000 to 60,000.

Other new albums that could perhaps start in the top 10 next week: Chiddy Bang’s “Breakfast” and Sleigh Bells’ “Reign of Terror.” Chiddy Bang’s set is exclusive to iTunes this week and may sell around 25,000. Sleigh Bells’ effort could sell 30,000.

On the Building Chart, Chiddy Bang and Sleigh Bells are found at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.

As for the rest of the Building Chart’s top 10, the “Now 41″ compilation sits at No. 4, the “2012 Grammy Nominees” collection is No. 7 and Drake’s “Take Care” is No. 8. Van Halen’s “A Different Kind of Truth” is No. 9 and Rihanna’s “Talk That Talk” is at No. 10.

Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart
Rank LW
BB 200 Artist Title
1 1 Adele “21″
2 NEW fun. “Some Nights”
3 NEW Tyga “Careless World”
4 3 Various Artists “Now 41″
5 NEW Chiddy Bang “Breakfast”
6 NEW Sleigh Bells “Reign of Terror”
7 5 Various Artists “2012 Grammy Nominees”
8 12 Drake “Take Care”
9 6 Van Halen “A Different Kind of Truth”
10 17 Rihanna “Talk That Talk”
The Building Chart reflects the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan’s tracking week (which ends Sunday) as reported by six major merchants: iTunes, Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target and Anderson Merchandisers. Billboard estimates that they make up about 85% of all U.S. album sales.

Cody Simpson on Workingwith Justin Bieber: ‘The FansAre Very Excited’


Cody Simpson ** says that there
are “only a certain few (people) I
like to work with” in the studio
as he continues to put together
his debut album. But one of
those is Justin Bieber **, a match
that certainly seems made in pop
heaven.
“We have a bunch of ideas
floating around at the moment,”
Simpson, who’s currently on the
road on his Welcome To Paradise
Tour, tells Billboard.com. “He just
hit me up one time — ‘OK, come
into the studio tonight.’ I
dropped by and it was artist to
artist…and you play some of the
stuff you’ve been working on
and Justin played me a lot of the
stuff on his upcoming album. It
has to be the right song, and
whether or not we sing on it
together or whether I write a
song for his album or he writes a
song for mine, I don’t know. But
we’ve been working together,
and the fans are very excited.”
21 UNDER 21: MUSIC’S HOTTEST
MINORS
In Simpson’s case, most are just
as excited by the prospect of
finally getting a full-length album
after the Australian-born singer’s
two EPs and hits such as “iYiYi,”
“All Day” and “On My Mind.” And
he’s feeling much the same way.
“The last two years of hard
work, it’s all really been leading
up to this album, and I am
excited to get it out,” Simpson
acknowledges. “But at the same
time I want to take my time and
really perfect it before it comes
out. I’m a big perfectionist, and I
like to make sure everything 120
percent, from the production to
the vocal performance to the
lyrics, the melody and
everything. There’s a lot of
different things to think about. I
just want to take my time and
make sure everything’s perfect
in my eyes before i really put it
out and show the world what
we have coming for them.”
Simpson has been recording in
Los Angeles, where he now
makes his home, and also
working with Ryan Tedder, Dr.
Luke and Nasri Tony Atweh, who
was also part of last year’s
“Coast to Coast.” Simpson says
the set is “coming along
amazing,” while the sound is “a
little more mature than what I’ve
released previously. I’m working
a lot with my acoustic guitar,
and we’re using a lot of real
instruments. I’m inspired by Jack
Johnson **, Jason Mraz **-style
music as well a lot of Justin
Timberlake **, Chris Brown **
music. So we’re going to find a
great mix there and see where it
goes.”
Simpson plans to return to the
studio in early March, hopefully
for one final run before he’s
ready to call it a wrap. “If you
want to ask me for a date for
the album, it’s a very difficult
question for me,” he says. “We’re
still working on it. But my best
guess is May or June sometime.”
He is, however, giving live
audiences a test of the album by
performing its planned first
single, “Listen,” which Simpson
hopes to release next month,
featuring a guest rap by T-Pain.
“It should be a dope track,”
Simpson reports. It originally
started as a guitar idea, and we
decided we wanted to produce
the whole thing up. It’s got a lot
of dubstep elements to it. I
wanted to do something a lot of
people would be surprised with
me putting out. I love being
unpredictable and unexpected.
I’m excited for it to come
out…and then the rest of the
new (songs), too.”
Simpson’s tour wraps up on
Sunday (Feb. 26) at the Walt
Disney World House of Blues in
Florida.

Whitney Houston’s YouTube& Vevo Plays Gain 4,523%


The late Whitney Houston **’s
videos are in high-demand on
both YouTube and Vevo as her
play count increased by 4,523%
last week according to Next Big
Sound. She went from 868,000
plays to 40.2 million in the week
ending Feb. 20.
In turn, the diva — who died on
Feb. 12 — moves from No. 12 to
No. 2 on Billboard’s Social 50
chart. The tally ranks the most
popular artists on YouTube,
Vevo, Facebook, Twitter,
MySpace and iLike, using a
formula that blends weekly
additions of friends/fans/
followers along with weekly
artist page views and weekly
song plays.
Elsewhere on the list, many acts
that were featured on the Feb.
12 Grammy Awards see a boost,
as Katy Perry (13-9), Lady Gaga
(15-13), Lil Wayne (22-14), Bruno
Mars (24-15) and Taylor Swift
(23-16) all make gains. Re-
entering this week are Grammy
performers Coldplay (No. 33) and
Deadmau5 (No. 40).
Holding court at No. 1 again this
week is Adele, who saw a 116%
jump in Vevo/YouTube plays and
a 62% leap in Facebook fans. As
for the rest of the top 10, Nicki
Minaj moves 2-3, Rihanna slips
3-4 and Michael Jackson climbs
8-5. Justin Bieber falls 4-6, David
Guetta stays put at No. 7 and
Shakira descends 6-8. Rounding
out the top 10 is Chris Brown,
who moves down a slot to No.
10.
The biggest positional fall on the
list belongs to Madonna, who
runs from No. 5 to No. 31. She
was down 23% in Facebook fans
and had a steep 80% drop in
YouTube views to her official
channel. None of this should be
too surprising, as her positioning
on the tally in the past two
weeks came as a result from
hype surrounding her Feb. 12
Super Bowl halftime show
performance. With the Super
Bowl firmly in the rear view
mirror, there isn’t enough social
buzz to keep the diva in the top
10.

Chris Brown NightclubIncident Still UnderInvestigation


The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s
Office is still “reviewing
information and talking to the
parties involved” following an
alleged incident involving Chris
Brown ** and a fan’s iPhone,
Miami’s NBC 6 [LINK] reported.
Contrary to rumors, no charge
was made on Friday and Brown
had reportedly not been
contacted by attorneys.
Previously, police told NBC 6 that
Brown had taken the fan’s
phone after she took a photo of
the singer leaving the South
Beach club Cameo along with the
rapper Tyga.
The fan, Christal Spann,
reportedly told police Brown
reached through the window of
his Bentley and pulled the phone
from her hands, allegedly telling
her, “B**** you ain’t going to
put that on no website.”
Police called the alleged incident a
“robbery by sudden snatching.”
Brown, coming off the highs of
a Grammy win and a pair of new
single remixes with ex-girlfriend
– and his former assault target –
Rihanna, remains on a five-year
probation for the 2009 attack.
On Friday, TMZ [LINK] posted a
paparazzi video of Brown posing
for photos with fans and driving
off without answering when
asked if he’d stolen the phone, as
well as footage of Spann [ LINK]
and her friends talking to police
in the wake of the alleged theft.
“I just want my phone back!”
Spann says in the video.

Beyonce Stars in House ofDereon Spring/Summer 2012Campaign


Clearly Beyonce ** wasn’t
kidding when she famously sang
that she “was repping for the
girls who taking over the world.”
In addition to caring for her
beautiful new baby girl, Blue Ivy,
and amid reports that she’s
already started working on two
new musical projects, the
consummate diva also managed
to find time to work on the
campaign for the House of
Dereon Spring/Summer 2012
Collection.
House of Dereon, Beyonce’s joint
clothing line with mom Tina
Knowles, is inspired by family
and their shared love of fashion
and style. Photographer Tony
Duncan snapped a gorgeous
photo of Beyonce, fresh makeup
and tousled locks perfectly in
place, in a green, studded bustier
from the collection, complete
with large wooden bangles.
House of Dereon fans can expect
a variety of options from the
latest collection, which includes
everything from short, daring
dresses to fun and flirty skirts.
From what we’ve seen, it’s a
combination of subtle sass and
sexiness that’s perfect for
outdoor concerts or backyard
barbeques.
You can see all of the details
looks in the House of Dereon
Spring/Summer 2012 video
lookbook, which features
stunning models gliding through
the streets as queen Bey’s
“Schoolin’ Life” plays in the
background. Watch below.

Lady Antebellum Already Working on ‘Night’ Follow-Up


The shine is still bright on Lady Antebellum’s Grammy Award for Best Country Album for 2011′s “Own the Night,” but the trio is already at work on its follow-up even as it tours to support its third album.

“We probably have at least a dozen songs already, whether they’re outside songs or ones we’ve written,” the group’s Hillary Scott tells Billboard.com. “Songwriting is such therapy and such a release for us, and it’s a way for us to kind of not get caught up in the madness of our schedules. We really do write a lot. Whether we’re at home or on the road, we’ll find time to write.”

But with “Own the Night’s” third single, “Dancin’ Away With My Heart,” currently on the ascent and three other songs being considered to follow it, Scott adds that there’s no hurry for Lady A and producer Paul Worley to make the album. “We’re going to take our time with this one,” Scott says, “because (‘Own the Night’), as proud as we are of it, we all feel like we kind of rushed it a little bit. So we’re going to just settle in and write and write and write. We may try to go in (to the studio) at some point this year just to try some things, but honestly it’s hard to tell. We’re going to really wait until we’re ready.”

Scott acknowledges that she and bandmates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were “so shocked” to win the Best Country Album Grammy this year — which Lady A’s “Need You Now” also won in 2011 — figuring it would go to Taylor Swift or Jason Aldean. “We really were not expecting it,” she says. “Honestly, after last year (when the group won five Grammys) we were just thankful to be invited back and to have a nomination. So we were stunned. But we’re grateful and appreciative, and it made for a really, really fun night for us.”

And the second Grammy in a row also raises the bar for what Lady A does next — another reason for the group to take its time with the fourth album, Scott says.

“These awards and these accolades really do spur you on and inspire you and make you go, ‘OK…we need to work hard and earn it again when the next record comes out and is eligible,” she says. “You look at your shelf and go, ‘Wow, OK, I need to really be inspired today. Then you get in the writing room and think about…What is us? What songs represent us the most? But we can’t over-think it, either. We haven’t made it this far by overthinking it. So when we get into those environments, whether in the songwriting room or the recording studio, we just have to let all of that go and really not think so much.”

Lady A is thinking mostly about performing these days. The group is in the midst of its first arena headlining tour, with the North American run winding up June 30 at Summerfest in Milwaukee before the trio moves on to Europe in July. After that, Scott says, more dates are “too be determined. We’ll slow down a little bit because we’re touring so heavy the first half of this year. We have to make sure we don’t have cobwebs in the ceilings of our homes and all that.” But Lady A is also enjoying the experience of playing to filled arenas.

“It’s a lot more of an ordeal,” Scott says. “We realize just how expensive this stuff is and how lucky we were before to be opening up for all the headlining artists (Tim McGraw, Martina McBride) who would be so generous with their equipment. Now that we’re paying for it, it’s like, ‘Whoa! They were really nice.’ But we just wanted to build a show that made fans feel that we were continuing to grow this relationship with them and give all the fans — those in the inner circle and those out in the arena — a really unforgettable experience. We’re not going too far outside of who we are, but we take it all up a notch.”

Tyga, fun. & Chiddy Bang Aiming for Top 10 Debuts


After a very busy Grammy-fueled week on the Billboard 200 albums chart where Adele’s “21″ collected a 21st week at No. 1 (but zero debuts appeared in the top 50) we should be seeing some fresh faces in the top 10 next week.

On course for a top five debut is Tyga’s debut set, “Careless World.” It is shaping up to sell perhaps 80,000 to 100,000 by week’s end on Sunday, Feb. 26 – so say industry sources. That figure does factor in how there was a clearance issue with a sample on the album’s title track, which had an uncleared sample of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Tyga Talks Young Money Movement,

Busta Rhymes Collabo & ‘Rack City’ Success

The snafu forced the CD to be recalled last weekend before it went on sale on Tuesday, Feb. 21. New physical copies of the album — without the sample — is reaching retailers today (Feb. 23). The digital version of “Careless” was already corrected to remove the problematic issue.

Adele’s “21″ will most certainly linger atop the chart for a 22nd week — marking the longest run at No. 1 for an album since Prince and the Revolution’s “Purple Rain” soundtrack reigned for 24 weeks in 1984 and 1985.

Fun., who recently hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 with “We Are Young” (as heard in Chevy’s commercial for its 2012 Sonic), might also take a bow in the top five next week with its second album, “Some Nights.” It could move around 50,000 to 60,000 copies. The band’s debut set, “Aim and Ignite,” debuted and peaked at No. 71 on the Billboard 200 in 2009, and has sold 70,000 to date according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Also heading for a top 10 bow is electro-inspired hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang with its debut full-length studio album “Breakfast.” The set was released exclusively via the iTunes Store this week, and will reach all other outlets on Feb. 28. The album’s track “Handclaps & Guitars” is iTunes free single of the week, which could push sales higher as the week progresses. As the present, it may sell 30,000 to 40,000.

The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 29.

Tyga’s Album’s First Week at Retail Disrupted by Uncleared MLK Sample


Tyga trumpeted Tuesday’s release date for his long-awaited Young Money/Universal debut, “Careless World,” for weeks. The album’s title has come to mean more than the MC probably intended: While the LP did officially drop on that date, an uncleared sample meant that it didn’t exactly drop everywhere.

Tyga, fun. & Chiddy Bang Aiming for Top 10 Debuts

Sources told Billboard.biz that the label had shipped approximately 150,000 copies of the album before last Thursday, when it sent a recall notice to retailers because the sample — a portion of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech used in the album’s title track — had not been cleared.

“They basically recalled [the albums],” Tyga told DJ Greg Street in a V-103 interview (posted on DDotOmen). “I’m looking at my Twitter and fans were hitting me up all day, posting pictures. They have them, and they have some in stores but then they got a piece of paper next to them [saying] ‘Recall: Can’t sell.’ My fans were going crazy, like ‘I got it in my hands, I’m thinking about just stealing it but I want to buy it, though.’ “

Most retailers abided by the recall but, apparently due to the holiday weekend, not every outlet got the message. Larger outlets like Target and Best Buy did not sell the album but some independent retailers and individual outlets within some chains put out the album for sale on its Tuesday release date, a source said. Several hundred units were sold by those outlets, the source said.

Tyga Talks Young Money Movement, Busta Rhymes Collabo & ‘Rack City’ Success

A new album master was created in time for the street date and all digital merchants have received the new version, a source told Billboard.biz. Physical copies of the new version of the album began re-shipping today (February 23) and are expected to reach most retail outlets tomorrow through Monday.

The label did not change the album’s release date, despite the recall, because of concerns over piracy, a source told Billboard.biz.

facebook.com/#!/bulletfame


Chris Brown is under investigation for allegedly swiping a female fan’s phone out of her hands and driving away after leaving a nightclub in South Florida on Sunday (Feb. 19), Miami Beach police told NBC 6 Miami.

“B–ch you ain’t going to put that on no website,” Brown reportedly told 24-year-old Miami resident Christal Spann after she approached and took a photo of Brown and rapper Tyga as they were getting into a black Bentley outside club Cameo. Spann told police that Brown opened his window, took her $500 white iPhone 4S and drove away.

Police responded around 4:40 a.m. but Brown is believed to have left the Miami area already. It is unclear if Brown, who performed at the American Airlines Arena on Feb. 16, is still in possession of the phone. The state attorney’s office is reportedly preparing an arrest warrant and police have listed the offense as “robbery by sudden snatching.”

Tyga has not been implicated. Brown has not commented on the accusations.

The “Turn Up the Music” singer is currently serving five years of probation after pleading guilty to the brutal assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Earlier this month a judge in Los Angeles praised Brown for his good behavior, but decided he should continue reporting to a probation officer in Virginia.

According to a RadarOnline.com source, “the conditions of his felony probation are very, very strict. Chris must obey all laws and not be arrested for any other crimes. This could be a huge nightmare for the singer’s probation if he is arrested and charged.”

On Monday (Feb. 20) Brown made headlines for releasing two remixed songs with his ex, one of them being sexually explicit.

On Twitter, the usually chatty Brown has not commented directly on the alleged incident. His only message on Feb. 19: “Awareness of your consciousness is EVOLUTION!” A day later he wrote, “I just hope my music inspires people to really come together. LOVE and POSITIVITY.”