Kelly Rowland is in the process of switching record labels from Columbia Records/ Music World Entertainment to rumored Universal Motown but that hasn't stopped her and producer Jim Jonsin who have been in the studio heavily working on her third solo album in which the title hasn't yet been released.



"I've been working on her album with songwriter Rico Love, we've done four songs. She's doing a pop-house and R&B sound, like a mixture, it's really cool, some up-tempo stuff, some ballads, all around really nice - more like a Donna Summer sound."

Patricia Elam says the family of Keith “Guru” Elam found out about his death the day after he died, through the media.

"[My son] Justin found out on the Internet and called me. I had to call my dad," Patricia Elam told MTV News in an exclusive interview. "[Keith's 9-year-old son] KC found out riding in the car, hearing it on the radio. That's not right if you care about someone. That's not how you treat them. My brother would never have wanted us to find out that way. Never in a million years. Especially his son. Come on, now."

Kid Cudi's references to himself as the Lonely Stoner, coupled with the nightmarish skits and dark songs on his debut album 'Man on the Moon: The End of Day,' have pegged him as hip-hop's resident tortured soul. The Cudder recently took it a step further, by opening up fans to his enthusiasm for horror movies.

Lil Wayne’s larger than life persona continues to keep fans intrigued even while the rapper is behind bars. The MC is set to grace the cover of Ozone magazine for its sixth annual “Sex Issue,” even though he’s currently serving his year-long jail sentence on weapons charges.

Eminem shot the video for his new song “Not Afraid” on the streets of Newark, New Jersey today, as people from the city watched intently.

Ignoring a good century of racial progress and pretty much all common sense, a senior at Bethel University in Minnesota recently performed a multi-song skit for students sporting blackface in an attempt to impersonate Lil Wayne. Unsurprisingly, the backlash was immediate, with the university officials launching an investigation and a subsequent apology from the obviously-spooked student group involved.

Black Wall Street associate DJ Skee recently revealed that Game's "Street Runners" Nas collaboration, which send a subtle diss 50 Cent's way, was recorded over four years ago.

According to Skee, the Brake Lights track had been kept under wraps.

To create his fourth studio album, 'Wake Up!' John Legend enlisted the creative guidance of production veterans, The Roots, which has resulted in an album laced with soulful renditions of classic '60s and '70s songs, in addition to the project's sole original track 'Shine.'

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.'

Chris Brown  may be hitting his musical stride again. Notching Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors for a second straight week, the singer is this close to notching a top 10 hit on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with "Deuces." The breakup song-featuring Tyga and Kevin McCall-moves 15-11 in its sixth week on the chart.



Released to iTunes June 29 along with another new Brown song, "No B.S.," "Deuces" moves 60-59 on the Digital Songs chart. Up 11% in digital sales, the song has sold 132,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

 If 30's the new 20, as Jay-Z claims in his '30 Something' lyrics, then his new 9-year-old signee, Willow Smith, has yet to be born. Just two days after her first song 'Whip My Hair' appeared online, Will Smith's tween daughter has been confirmed as the newest addition to Jay's Roc Nation lineup.

Producer Swizz Beatz's ex-wife Mashonda opens up about her past marriage to the hitmaker and shared details about his newlywed Alicia Keys wanting to exert her role as a mother in the October issue of Sister 2 Sister.

Click here to find out more!



According to Mashonda, Keys wanted their son to view the singer as her new mother.

The stars descended on Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre this past Sunday for the MTV Video Music Awards, but there's one artist who wasn't so pleased that her invite never came in the mail. Keyshia Cole, who recently gave birth to her first son, took to her Twitter account during the ceremony on Sunday night to address fans as to why she suspects MTV decided to exclude her from the event.

While Drake's R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough, might not drop in October, he does plan to put it out before the end of the year.



"I don't know if it'll be next month," he told MTV News on Saturday during his VMA rehearsal. "I'm hoping for Christmastime. I'd really love to get it out for Christmastime. Next month, I'll be on tour. I'm gonna really get to put the finishing touches on it in November and December. Because it's a mixtape, I don't have to wait for the production of it."

Signing to any label doesn't make you the hottest artist or prove that you're working hard. It just means you can catch the eyes of executives. The question is how do you capitalize off your signing to make sure you'll eventually drop an album? Bei Maejor had the right answer. Aside from his production, Bei is signed to Jive and recently dropped his Upside Down free album. Twelve records spanning features from big names (T-Pain, Keri Hilson, Trey Songz, etc.) as well as matching production, mostly by himself, Maejor succeeded in doing what he set out to do.

 Rihanna's found a rather comfortable spot heating up the Billboard charts  this week. The Bajan beatuy's latest single 'Only Girl in the World,' tops the Digital Songs charts with 249,000 first week downloads marking her eight single to debut on Digital Songs, and her sixth to debut at No. 1, the most reached in each category by an artists since 2005, the year the chart launched. The song jumped 72 spots on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and currently sits at No. 3 on the singles chart after premiering three weeks ago.

Eminem cannot regain his previous Top 5 position, Trey Songz continues his dominance at No. 7 plus John Legend and The Roots wake-up their competition.



Grammy-winning rapper Eminem's Recovery dropped out of Top 5 this week, moving down three slots to No. 6 with with 65,800 while Zac Brown Band's You Get What You Give topped the chart with 153,700 sold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Em's new album has sold 2,656,200 records after 14 weeks in stores.

Earlier this morning (October 7) an email allegedly written by Nas to the higher ups at Def Jam was circulated on the Internet. In the letter, God’s Son scolds his record label for refusing to release a sequel to his 2002 compilation, The Lost Tapes. [Read below]

Nicki Minaj made an undeniable splash on the Billboard charts this year, becoming the first female to top the Rap Songs list with her hit 'Your Love' since Missy Elliott  held the same position in November 2002. But that was only the tip of the iceberg for the Young Money raptress breaking records on the Billboard charts.

The BET Top 10 rappers of the 21st Century list was recently unveiled after serious deliberation by a Hip Hop panel.  The list was disclosed during an hour-long television special, and featured the hottest rappers of the past decade, from 1999 onward.

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.

Hello world! My world! Our world!

West Coast producer Dr. Dre's long-awaited Detox album will finally see the light of day, as new reports claim it will be released in early 2011.

Click here to find out more!



In addition to a launch date, details on the LP's guest appearances have also emerged.

New York rap rivals Foxy Brown and Lil Kim have both shown their disapproval of Nicki Minaj as of late by going after the Young Money star.



Foxy struck first by accusing Minaj of lying about a conversation she said they had.

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.

Hip-Hop star DMX will end 2010 with a year-long prison term, as the rapper's probation was officially revoked in Arizona today (December 16th).



The Maricopa County Superior Court revoked the rap star's probation from 2009, stemming from a conviction on fraud charges, identity theft, assault and a variety of other misdemeanor charges.

10-year-old Willow Smith already knows how to work the Internet and music gossip rags into a tizzy. When asked in a recent interview about potential songs for her debut, her father's hip-hop classic 'Parents Just Don't Understand' came up and Willow revealed that she just might be working on a cover version.



"There's a possibility that I will," she said. "It's a really great song."

Days after Chris Brown announced the completion of his court-appointed domestic violence classes, the R&B singer is involved in a heated exchange with former B2K member Raz B via Twitter.



Early Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 29), Raz B posted a series of tweets on the social networking site announcing his attraction towards CB's former flame, Rihanna. From YouTube videos of songs like Jamie Foxx's 'Infatuation' to promising to hold her "like a pillow," the controversial entertainer held nothing back when sharing his feelings for the 'Loud' songstress.

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.

Seminal New Orleans rap label No Limit Records is being relaunched as No Limit Records Forever, a digital label run by founder Percy "Master P" Miller's 21-year-old son Romeo.



The legendary label, which sold over 75 million records from 1990 to 2003, will be reborn in 2011 with Romeo (formerly known as Lil Romeo) at the helm, aided by his brother, Valentino serving as Vice President, uncle Silkk The Shocker as Chief Operating Officer and cousin Black Don as Senior VP of A&R.

Hit musical comedy 'Glee' may be one of the most successful shows on television, but they're not big enough for Eminem. The Fox series, which has built itself into a $500 million dollar brand, has featured performances of popular songs like Rihanna's 'Take a Bow,' Cee-Lo's ubiquitious 'F--- You' and several Billy Joel standards, but Slim Shady's music was reportedly too expensive for the show.

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.

T-Pain, a once-unstoppable hit maker, now finds his trusty Auto-Tune on the outs with most music fans, and his label doesn't appear to be willing to put out a long-in-the-works album entitled 'RevolveR.' So, T-Pain plans on leaking his own album.

Recently revealed witness testimony may finally prove the long-rumored link between the Los Angeles Police Department and the shooting death of revered rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.

A Los Angeles County judge lifted the terms of the protective order against Chris Brown on Tuesday (Feb. 21), allowing him to be closer to his ex-girlfriend Rihanna. The Virginia native's restraining order was reduced to a Level One order, granting him the right to have contact with the Bajan beauty so long as he does not "harass, annoy or molest her."

Snoop Dogg is reaching out to an impressive roster for his upcoming 11th album, 'Doggumentary.' The Long Beach native has revealed the tracklist and guest stars on his upcoming LP, which features a staggering 21 tracks -- some of which have already been released for free as part of his Puff Puff Pass Tuesday series.

Two-and-a-half months after his epic '6 Foot 7 Foot' single dropped, Lil Wayne is finally debuting his music video for the Bangladesh-produced banger on Thursday (March 3) at 7:54 PM EST on MTV.



The song is Wayne's first single since his release from Rikers Island prison in November, and the typically hyper-productive rapper has been keeping a uncharacteristically low profile since, only popping up on a handful of remixes and leaking a mixtape verse here and there.

According to reports, Nate Dogg, real name Nathaniel D. Hale, passed away Tuesday (March 15) at the age of 41. The Long Beach Press Telegram, his local paper, broke the news of the seminal gangster rap crooner's untimely demise with confirmation from family members. A cause of death was not immediately given.



Hale was quickly mourned by many, including longtime collaborator Snoop Dogg. "We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb," he tweeted. "One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met [sic]."

Q:    I know you’ve got a busy year scheduled. What’s the latest with the ‘Lost Tapes 2’?



 A:   ‘Lost Tapes 2’, I kinda got away from it and I started working on my new album so I kinda pushed that back and put my new album first because I lost time and its new album time so that’s where I’m at with it now.



Q:    Okay, ‘cos I know there were some troubles with Columbia Records not releasing songs for you, is that correct?

The long-standing beef between 50 Cent and Ja Rule, continues to be in full effect. Ja, who recently pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges, became the brunt of more 50 Cent jokes, after a fan posted a comment about the situation on 50's Twitter page to which he responded with laughter.



"Don't nobody care about you fool," 50 tweeted about Ja.

Actor Charlie Sheen is putting his "winning" regimen to song and he's bringing Snoop Dogg along for the ride.



The troubled actor-turned-Internet star, who was recently fired from the popular CBS comedy 'Two and a Half Men,' posted a picture of himself and Snoop, along with former Korn member Robert Patterson making sweet music. The trio were pictured recording at Sheen's house over the weekend.

Drake made a surprise appearance during the Washington, D.C. stop on Lil Wayne's I Am Still Music tour, performing several songs with his mentor, and addressing the rumors that he had split from his Young Money crew.



Introducing his Canadian protégé with a heartfelt dedication before launching into their duet, 'Miss Me,' Wayne thanked the crowd for their support.

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.

Detroit is getting sinister. Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" have announced plans to team up for a joint EP dubbed 'Bad Meets Evil,' slated for release on June 14. The project serves as a long-awaited follow-up to their 1999 collaboration of the same name, and is set to feature production from D12's Mr. Porter, Mobb Deep's Havoc, DJ Khalil, Bangladesh and more.

Lil Wayne is turning his trek across the country for his I Am Still Music tour into a documentary.



The Young Money labelhead revealed to MTV during a tour stop in New Orleans last week, that cameras have been capturing footage of his first tour since being released from prison. "I just felt like a movie like that hasn't come out in so long. I also felt that I was the artists and I have the label and the artists with me to pull it off," he explained.

Brian "Birdman" Williams wasn't kidding when he released the song 'Money to Blow.' The Cash Money label head just dropped nearly $8 million on a Mercedes Maybach Exelero.



The luxury vehicle comes in at a whopping $7.8 million, a drop in the bucket for Birdman, whose net worth is estimated to be $100 million. "8million 0n a whip all red.blievetht.custom made.ymcmb," the New Orleans native tweeted, alongside a picture of his new ride, earlier this week.

Missed Lil Wayne as he hit arenas on his first tour since spending a year in prison for gun charges? You're in luck! After wrapping up his two-month-long I Am Still Music tour at the Bamboozle Festival on May 1, Weezy has decided to stay on the road. The '6 Foot 7 Foot' rapper has announced a second leg to the touring hip-hop circus that will hit 40 cities, beginning July 13 in Hartford, Conn.

Caribbean singing and rapping duo R. City aka Rock City has announced that they have finally parted ways with Akon's record label, Konvict Muzik.



The multi-talented brothers -- Timothy "Don't Talk" and Theron "Da Spokesman" Thomas -- signed with Akon back in 2007, after writing 'The Rain' on his platinum-selling 2006 album 'Konvicted.'

On (May 18), Young Jeezy announced from the studio that his long-delayed 'TM 103' album was finally complete. Soon after that, a rumored July 26 release date started to make the Internet rounds, but reps at Def Jam deny that the date is accurate.

Young Jeezy doesn't have a confirmed release date for his new album, 'TM103,' but his mixtape does. The Atlanta trap rap star has reunited with DJ Drama for a new mixtape called 'The Real Is Back,' due out tomorrow (May 28) at 1:03PM.



The mixtape will serve as an appetizer for Jeezy's long-delayed fourth album, which is now scheduled to hit stores sometime this summer, according to the Snowman. Although July 26 had been reported to be the album's proper release date, Def Jam representatives shot down those assertions.