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."

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.

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.'

By now, it's becoming a bit redundant to mention that Dr. Dre's 'Detox' album has been over a decade in the making. So while we wait for that arbitrary 2011 release date, let's take comfort in the fact that Dre already has plans up his sleeve for another album.

Based on the order, Wayne has consumed various popular American snacks.



TMZ has obtained documents of the rapper's commissary food order from last month while serving time at Rikers Island . Among the items on his list are beef sticks, Kool-Aid, Halls cough drops, ramen soup, Nacho Cheese Doritos, 50 sugar packets, and Poland Spring water (no soda). Wayne also requested 20 envelopes and stamps so he can correspond with his family, friends, and fans, who've been writing him non-stop since he checked in in March. (Rap-Up)

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.

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."

 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.

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.

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.

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.

R&B songstress Teena Marie passed away Sunday (Dec. 26). She was 54-years-old. Details of the singer's death are scarce but she reportedly passed away in her sleep and was discovered in her Los Angeles home by her daughter Alia Rose AKA Rose LeBeau. Marie's passing was first discovered by journalist/author Roland Martin, who took to Twitter to report on the sad news. The singer's publicist, Jasmine Vega, eventually confirmed reports. Marie's manager, Mike Gardner, also confirmed her death to CNN.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

T.I. will be coming home sooner than expected. The Atlanta rapper has received a prison release date that comes one month earlier than originally planned; he'll be shedding his orange jumpsuit and leaving the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) - Low in Forrest City, Ark. on Sept. 29, 2011.

Beanie Sigel is trying to get back into Jay-Z's good graces. After dissing Hova in multiple outlets and mediums (i.e. interviews, songs) for close to two years, Beanie Mack is apologizing for his harsh words.

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.

After Jay-Z passed on a collaboration with Justin Timberlake for his "FutureSex/LoveSounds” album the singer says he's no longer interested in a collab.

Those looking forward to a possible Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake collaboration may not want to hold their breaths because it looks like the two musicians will probably never record a song together.

J. Cole still waiting on a verse from Jay-Z for "Cole World: The Sideline Story,” says he will no longer release a new mixtape.



Although J. Cole initially announced that he would be dropping a new mixtape before the September release of Cole World: The Sideline Story he has now revealed that he will longer be releasing that mixtape.



Rather than release the full mixtape Cole will instead leak the songs that would have been featured on the mixtape in the weeks leading up to Cole World: The Sideline Story.

This week’s Any Given Sunday consisted of a Ustream session from J. Cole. He chatted with fans, played snippets of songs that didn’t make the album cut, talked about the the leaked ‘Work Out’ video and more. Parts 1 to 3 are below. Here are some highlights:



- The ‘Work Out’ video was an unauthorized leak. The video was re-shot and will premiere on Monday, August 15th on 106 & Park.

- Will most probably release a new track sometime next week.

Taking a line from 'Pac's song "Black Jesus" seriously, some of the group members smoked his remains.

Drake:

I had a song that’s very powerful, it’s called “Doing It Wrong,” and Stevie boosted it to another level. 40 produced it, but Stevie has a solo on it that he plays. It’s a great piece of music.

Mary J. Blige recently shared some details with XXL about recording with Rick Ross for his upcoming God Forgives, I Don’t album which is expected to be released in December. The song was done in Marvin Gaye’s studio in LA.

“I did a crazy, crazy record with Rick. Rick is fly. He picks the best beats man. That guy is amazing with that.

French Montana is gaining breakthrough solo success with his song “Shot Caller,” but the Bronx rep isn’t letting his hustle rest. He’s dropping his duet project with Waka Flocka Flame in less than a month.

As TMZ first reported, an anti-hangover drink company called NOHO has offered to pay $1,000,000 for the rights to the unreleased song 2Pac was rapping along with in the sex tape he is in.



Now TMZ is saying that a rep for Pac’s people reached out to NOHO and the two sides are trying to work out a deal.

The Young Money rapstress says she recorded the cut for Weezy but that he passed on it.



While on the set of Birdman’s upcoming video for “Y.U. Mad,” Nicki Minaj revealed that Rick Ross’ recently released “I’m a Boss” was actually intended for Lil Wayne. Speaking with MTV News, the Harajuku Barbie spoke in the third person about the song’s trajectory and that it’s actually almost three years old.

Mary invites Drizzy to guest on the song "Mr. Wrong" for her upcoming album, which also features Nas and Rick Ross.



Rap-Up.com learned that Drake will act as a guest on Mary J. Blige's upcoming album, My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1). He'll drop a verse on the Jim Jonsin and Rico Love produced "Mr. Wrong."

Pusha T is the rap Freddy Krueger of dream land. Today, not only did he launched his new website www.pusha-t.com, but he dropped a record called “What Dreams Are Made Of” from his Fear of God II: Let Us Pray EP coming out next month.



Hip-hop fans are still talking about the last song Pusha T put out, “Don’t Fuck With Me,” over the instrumental to Drake’s “Dreams Money Can Buy.”

Amy Winehouse's first posthumous album will be released on December 5th. Included are previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of exisiting tracks as well as compisitions put together by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. Check out the entire tracklist & album cover below:

“Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version)” – reggae re-working of classic 60’s doo wop song produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded May 2002.

Rolling Out was granted behind the scenes access to B.o.B and Lil Wayne's video shoot for the single "Strange Clouds", shot in Atlanta. They spoke with B.o.B on the single, collaborating with Lil Wayne and his next album. You can check out the interview and photos from the shoot below.

What is the concept behind the video?

Will Ferrell spoke with MTV about the huge hit "Ni**as In Paris" which samples Ferrell in the movie "Blades of Glory". You're probably all aware how the song starts off, with Ferrell's line "We're gonna skate to one song and one song only", and then mid-song he's sampled again with, "No one knows what it means, but it's provocative...it gets the people going!"  Here's what Ferrell had to say on it:

Asher will remain with Steve Rifkind, as Loud Records makes a return under the Island Def Jam umbrella.



Following his stint on SRC Records, Asher Roth has signed to Def Jam with plans to release the follow-up to 2009’s Asleep in the Bread Aisle.



According to Def Jam executive Shawn Costner, Roth has plans to drop his second full-length, Is This Too Orange, in the first quarter of 2012.

Billboard recently previewed 5 of the 45 songs which T.I. has recorded for his next album (not including all the remixes he's gotten on). T.I. confirmed that his next album will be called "Trouble Man" and he spoke to Billboard about the album and his next single. Check out some excerpts from the interview below.

On His Next Single:

Kanye West, who was facing lawsuit from a man called Vincent Peters who claims that Ye stole his idea for his hit song "Stronger", cited Nietzshe as his influence for the song idea in a brief his legal team submitted last week.

Kimmy Blanco takes to Twitter to reveal the upcoming release of a handful of tracks.

Lil' Kim has announced the release of an upcoming five-track EP, set to impact around the holidays.

Taking to Twitter to reveal the project, Kimmy Blanco broke news of the release yesterday. "#TeamLilKim For the Holidays I'm releasing a 5 song EP for yall as a preview of what's to come in 2012 & so on 4rm Lil' Kim :) !!!!!"

T-Pain recently spoke to Rap-Up and clarified what was going on (or not going on) with the T-Pain & Lil Wayne collaborative album.

T-Pain had recorded eight or nine songs before the project was shevled, saying,

French Montana has now been signed to Diddy's Bad Boy Records, as they revealed on BET's 106 & Park yesterday.

Diddy explained why he signed the Bronx rapper, "It's obvious.His work ethic, his song-making, the effect he has on the youngins. If you ever been to one of his shows, every time he drops a record. Also, it's important, I'm from New York, you know what I'm saying. I rep New York to the fullest. And for real, for real, can't nothing move in this city without us being a part of it."