Kanye West jetted to Singapore this week, to take the stage at the country's annual SINGfest Music Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 4, where he performed his new single 'Power,' in addition to a few throwbacks that included 'Jesus Walks' and 'Heartless.'

In a Michael Jackson-esque move, Kanye West turned the debut of his "Power" music video into a bona fide TV event. In addition to a high-profile "Jersey Shore" episode lead-in to ensure maximum viewership, the video was interrupted with mini-commercials roughly every fifteen seconds on MTV.

Rappers Nicki Minaj, Swizz Beatz, Pusha T and more are expected to appear on the remix toKanye West's upcoming "Power" smash hit.
 
West is also expected to link with Mos Def and John Legend for the remix.

Kid Cudi is gearing up to drop his second album of epic genre experimentation on October 26. The record, entitled 'Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager,' has already been previewed through initial singles like the Plain Pat-produced 'REVOFEV,' the brooding 'Mojo So Dope' and the more upbeat Kanye West  number 'Erase Me.' Over the weekend, fans got two more previews of new tracks entitled 'Mr. Rager' and 'Wylin' Cause I'm Young.'

MTV has announced that teenage crooner Justin Bieber and genre-bending rapper B.o.B will be joining Kanye West and Drake as performers at the 2010 Video Music Awards.



Both B.o.B and Bieber have enjoyed fairytale years. In addition to releasing a No.1 album and starring in his own Adidas sneaker commercial, Bobby Ray is up for five VMA nominations including Video of the Year and Best Male Video, while Bieber scored a platinum-selling No.1 album and is nominated for Best New Artist.

Swizz Beatz has been a monster super producer for years now and his recent turn on Kanye West's 'Power' remix just served to cement his reputation as one of the best hype men in hip-hop. Need a little refresher? On his personal blog, music journalist Sean Fennessey prepared a three-disc trip through Swizzy's history behind the boards. 

Kanye West and Thornton were spotted at the Marc Jacobs women's store on Mercer St. during the boutique's Fashion's Night Out festivities. After chatting up Vogue editor Anna Wintour, they took photos together and held hands leaving the boutique. Fans of West chased the musical twosome down the street, snapping pictures on their cell phones.



An in-the-know source says West, 33, and Thornton, who turns 26 on Sept. 26, have been "dating for only about two weeks" but that things are going "very well."

 Controversial entertainer Kanye West has finally spoken about President Barack Obama informally labeling him a "jacka**" after his 2009 televised Video Music Awards fiasco last year.

Kanye West has never been afraid to extend his shine to some of the most creative people in music, fashion, art, design, film, athletics and literature. In fact, he loves all mediums of art to such an extent that fans have picked up some great recommendations from Ye's extensive catalogue of favorites  (aka his blog) at any given moment. Last Wednesday, he took to Twitter to name his list of the coolest creative people in the world.

Banks is definitely bringin out the big guns for his "Hunger For More 2" Album. We've already heard the first 2 singles with Juelz Santana & Lloyd which were both crazy and now we might have the 3rd single as early as this week called "Trackstar" which features Kanye West, Fabolous & Swizz Beatz.

Here's what he had to say about it:

During the hubbub leading up to Kanye West's fifth LP 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,' one thing that has been mostly overlooked is the actual tracklist. Well, iTunes has posted the official list and it might surprise fans for being heavy on leaked cuts and free G.O.O.D. Friday material. The album, available in stores and online on November 22, features 11 songs and the Beyonce-featuring summer jam 'See Me Now' as a bonus track, although Ye revealed that additional extra cuts would most likely be revealed before the release date.

Can you imagine being such a soldier of pop culture that your activism would warrant you making the pages of a book written by a President?

Wouldn't such an inclusion make your family proud? Wouldn't it be a bragging right to share with your grandchildren? Shouldn't it get you an automatic NAACP Image Award?

Maybe the above would be the case if the President actually had something good to say about you.

As most of you hip-hop fiends know, Kanye West’s highly anticipated new album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" leaked online Tuesday afternoon.  Now remember, the album doesn’t officially come out until November 22nd.  But has that ever stopped the internet before?  Of course not.  What’s funny is, to our generation, the day the album leaks online is the real release date.  Who cares when it comes out in stores?

After taking to his Twitter account to express his outrage over an interview with Matt Lauer, the full “Today” show interview reveals why. During the pre-taped chat, things took a turn for the worse after the network made ‘Ye watch a clip of former President Bush speaking about the rapper’s infamous remarks.

It’s been a pretty hectic week for Kanye West. And yesterday, Russell Simmons retreated to his site and penned a letter in support for Mr. West. As always, Uncle Rush knows best.



    Dear Kanye,

Kanye West released his hyped fifth studio album, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' today, and is selling the 13-track offering for a cool $3.99 on Amazon.

Kanye West took over New York City's Bowery Ballroom for a surprise show to commemorate the release of his fifth album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," dazzling audience members including Lyor Cohen and Questlove with reconfigured renditions of his tracks.



But the highlight of the gig wasn't just guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Ryan Leslie, Pusha T and more. 'Ye finished up with a heated nine-minute speech, doting on everything from Taylor Swift and President Bush to his first-week album sales.

Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is reportedly en route to outsell new albums from Nicki Minaj and Lloyd Banks with projections up to 575,000 sold copies.



Based on one-day reports, R&B crooner Ne-Yo's new Libra Scale album will also be fractioned into the sales competition.

The 2011 Grammy nominees were announced at a Los Angeles concert Wednesday night that was broadcast live on CBS. Two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J hosted the hour-long program that included performances from Bruno Mars, B.O.B., Justin Bieber and Train.



This year, artists must have released a project between Sept. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010, to be eligible for an award. While that leaves out albums from Kanye West, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, many others are in the running. The main event takes place on Feb. 13, 2011 in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS at 8PM ET/PT.

As I was sifting through the list of Grammy nominees a couple weeks ago, I saw a lot of familiar names. 

Eminem? Check.

Jay-Z?  Of course. 

Kanye West? This dude can’t stay off the list.

West Coast based producer Hit-Boy may not be the most recognizable name on the shelf but his music has already backed the vocals for a number of hip-hop’s elite.



Crafting Eminem and Lil Wayne’s first collaboration (“Drop The World”) and Mary J. Blige’s ’09 hit single (“Stronger”), the 23-year-old beatsmith also lent his hand to the making of Kanye West’s first Christmas-inspired record, a collaboration between Dipset and G.O.O.D. Music.

Apparently, Kim Kardashian is not satisfied being a curvy celebutante. The socialite has come a long way from her days as Ray J's co-star in their leaked sex tape and now, the Quick Trim spokesperson -- she also has her own fragrance and peddles lollipops, skincare products, Carl Jr. burgers, tanning lotion and a workout DVD series, to name a few -- is teaming with some of the best and brightest for her upcoming album.

Didn't get enough of Kanye West in 2010? The Chi-town rapper is already planning big things for the New Year, making a grand announcement while celebrating New Year's Eve in Las Vegas with his big brother Jay-Z. Though he promised that 'Watch the Throne,' his collabo project with Jigga, would land in stores before '10's end, 'Ye has announced that the highly anticipated disc would be arriving in one week.

Months after Kanye West’s critically acclaimed album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, hit shelves, its cover art is still causing controversy. In an interview with The New Yorker, artist George Condo, who designed all of the covers—including the notorious artwork featuring an armless, white, naked phoenix sitting on the lap of a naked black man holding a bottle—said Mr. West specifically asked for an illustration that would get him in trouble.

Dating rumors have been swirling around rising Pittsburgh MC Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West's former girlfriend Amber Rose for awhile, and now it looks like things are swinging into more official territory. While Rose had been linked to another rapper, Fabolous, over the past year, it seems that Wiz might have won out with his stoner lust for life.



"I need my baby," tweeted Rose recently. "I'm so in LOVE I don't care what anyone says that's my baby I found happiness my heart is with Cam."

 For the second year in row a major hip-hop artist will headline the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Fesitval, set for April 15-17 in Indio, Calif. Kanye West joins Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon at the top of the Coachella 2011 bill.

Kanye West is looking to make 2011 a year to remember. Alongside his joint album with Jay-Z, titled 'Watch the Throne,' 'Ye will drop another solo release this summer.



West announced the news via his favorite method of communication: Twitter. "I'll be back this SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!" he wrote on Sunday (Jan. 23). "WATCH THE THRONE COMING IN 2 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!! MY NEW ALBUM COMING THIS SUMMER."

After only 10 weeks on the charts, Nicki Minaj has passed Kanye West in total album sales.



Following her impressive appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' last week, the Young Money rapper's debut 'Pink Friday,' climbed six spots on Billboard's Top 200, reaching no. 3, with total sales of 989,300, 38,500 in the last week.

It looks like 50 Cent is taking it back to the old school, getting back to the basics courtesy of his new joint, 'Old 2003 Ferrari.' Although he has yet to follow the lead of other rappers like Kanye West, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland by announcing a day of the week for free song releases, the Queen's native appears to be fully submerged in his musical comeback.

Rappers Game and Kanye West voiced their opinions about Drake and Justin Bieber being snubbed in the "Best New Artist" category during last night's Grammy Awards.



Via Twitter, Game vouched support for Drake.



    "Drake aint win BEST NEW ARTIST ? Exactly why I'm kool on awards. (finishes rolling weed up as I turn the tv off).," Game tweeted Sunday (February 13) night.

A few days ago, Epilepsy Action, a awareness organisation, contacted Youtube and asked them to take down the new music video for Kanye West’s ‘All of The Lights‘. According to them, there is so much flashing imagery in the clip that it could cause seizures among Epilepsy sufferers. Since there are no broadcasting regulations regarding flashing imagery online, officials at Epilepsy Action demanded that the clip be taken off Youtube especially when it doesn’t contain a warning at the start.

Kanye West fans might have to pop open a new browser if they're looking to watch his video for 'Monster.' The clip, which leaked to the Internet in December, has been banned by MTV after feminist groups started a petition claiming that the video perpetuates violence against women and glamorizes misogyny.

Kanye West took a subliminal shot at his former girlfriend, Amber Rose, during his performance at this year's Coachella Music Festival.



West, who performed a 23-song set, didn't miss the opportunity to address the fact that his ex was also in attendance, but to support her new boyfriend, rapper Wiz Khalifa. Ironically, Khalifa performed ahead of West earlier in the day, and according to reports, the two had a post-show verbal altercation post.

Young Money's Drake managed to earn a huge payout over the weekend by performing at a former television network executive's party as the replacement for Kanye West.



According to reports, Drizzy's New York City one-night weekend performance landed him a solid $250,000.

Kanye West's line of limited edition silk scarves, which he has produced in collaboration with Parisian design duo Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag of M/M, has finally arrived in stores in Paris today (May 9).

Amber Rose is letting it all hang out on the July/August issue of King Magazine, literally and figuratively. Decked in blue lace lingerie, the blond beauty, not only shows off her killer curves but opens up about her personal life, comparing and contrasting her current relationship with Wiz Khalifa to her previous relationship with Kanye West.

Landing the cover of Vibe Magazine's Sexy Issue started off as a happy moment for model Amber Rose, until she actually read what the publication printed about her. Rose, who gained popularity while dating hip-hop star Kanye West, sounded off via Twitter late Saturday evening (May 28), saying the cover story was "untrue and ridiculous."

While rumors about the official street date of the oft-delayed, highly-anticipated Watch the Throne album have been circulating on the internet the past couple of months, a source close to Jay-Z and Kanye West says the album has a release month: July.

The source tells XXLMag.com exclusively that Hov and Yeezy, the latter who resides in Paris these days, are both in New York for the next couple of weeks putting the final touches on the set in hopes of releasing it next month.

With delay, after delay, after delay, Big Sean's B.I.G. day is looking more promising. Finally Famous will finally hit retailers on June 28 and he's brought forth the 12-song tracklisting which sees the Detroit emcee teaming up with guest appearances from Kanye West, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, Pusha T, Pharrell Williams, and lots more.

Goodbye G.O.O.D. Music, hello Warner Bros.! Common signs a deal with Warner to release his next album.

It looks like Consequence may not be the only artist to jump ship from Kanye West's label. Now, one of G.O.O.D. Music's earliest and biggest successes Common may have left the label, recently signing to Warner Bros. Records.

Kanye inks a deal to turn G.O.O.D. Music into an official label, with Big Sean serving as its flagship artist.



Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music has inked an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with Island Def Jam Music Group. The first release under the terms of the new agreement is Big Sean’s Finally Famous, cementing the Detroit, Michigan up-and-comer as G.O.O.D. Music’s flagship artist.

Hov hosted a listening session last night in New York City, New York where he previewed a handful of cuts from the record.



Last night, Jay-Z hosted a private listening session for his and Kanye West's highly anticipated Watch the Throne, supposedly releasing August 2nd. The event took place in the Mercer Hotel, where journalists crammed into a suite converted into a recording studio where Hov debuted cuts from the LP from his MacBook Pro and held an impromptu Q&A.

Hov and 'Ye go on a fall tour under the new moniker "The Throne."



With their collaborative album Watch the Throne on the way, Jay-Z and Kanye West have announced an upcoming North American tour in the fall under the group name "The Throne."

Jay-Z's manager is confident that Hov and Kanye's record won't suffer the same fate as so many others.



Despite the fact that virtually no album goes un-leaked these days, one manager believes that his camp has discovered a way to keep one of the most highly-anticipated Hip Hop albums from getting to the masses ahead of time.



John Meneilly, Jay-Z's manager, believes that Jay and Kanye West's album, Watch The Throne, is on lock down. “It is not going to leak,” tweeted Meneilly.

Call him Air Fuhrer ... because this weekend, Kanye West compared himself to both Michael Jordan and Adolf Hitler during a performance in England.



West was performing at the Big Chill music festival Saturday night ... when he went on one of his signature rants ... this time focusing on the hardships of being so painfully misunderstood (see video below).



"I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street, and people look at me like I'm f**king insane ... like I'm Hitler."

The famed Hip Hop music video director is hopping back in the director's chair for his first feature film since "Belly."



Hype Williams is following his 1998 feature debut Belly with his second trip to the big screen. The director, who has filmed iconic videos for Kanye West, 2Pac, Busta Rhymes and more, will sit at the helm for Lust, described a “Fatal Attraction in reverse.”

Newcomers to the list include Nicki Minaj, B.o.B, Wiz Khalifa and others.



Forbes has announced its annual Hip Hop Cash Kings list. The leader of the pack is none other than Jay-Z, while additional Hip Hop stars to make the cut include Eminem, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and more.



Hov tops the chart with $37 million in income, thanks to “the benefits of a 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal, as well as stakes in the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club” and more.

There are whispers going around the industry that the sales strategy adopted by Kanye, Jay-Z together with the label which gives iTunes a 4 day exclusive window of Watch The Throne‘s release and thereafter physical edition at Best Buy from August 12th onwards, is prone to instances of multi-scanning for sales purposes.

Rap fans in love with Jay-Z and Kanye West’s joint album, Watch the Throne, can brace themselves for another release by different hip-hop dynamic duo: Lil Wayne and Drake.

Although he didn’t name a tentative date, Cash Money Records founder Bryan “Baby” Williams confirmed with XXL that Weezy and Drizzy will definitely be putting out a collaborative album together well after each deliver their respective solo efforts.