YAWN!: JAY-Z SPEAKS OUT OVER GLASTONBURY FURORE AND HYPE!

Rapper SHAWN 'JAY-Z' CARTER has defended his headline slot at legendary English music festival Glastonbury next month (Jun08) The star's billing has attracted controversy because of the event's traditionally rock-orientated line-up, and was even blamed for the festival's slow ticket sales. Last month (Apr08), Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher criticised Carter's appearance at Glastonbury, saying, "I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong." But now the hip-hop star has spoken out about his headline slot - and has urged Gallagher to "respect" his musical genre.

Carter says, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip-hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. "We just have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward." And Carter admits he's excited about playing Glastonbury, because it'll be the most controversial performance of his career. He adds, "I've never ever had a show that's caused this much of a stir so I'm really looking forward to it. I've never been involved in anything this controversial. What's the big deal about doing a show? "I guess it's heritage and people hold that dear to their heart and see it one way but that's how the world is. The world has to change. It just can't be one thing - and that's the beautiful thing. That's why people feel so passionate about an event."

HOTTEST DAY IN T-DOT: I am interviewing this lady FIRST before any media in this town!

Says the Hefster and the whole building at the Playboy HQ in Chicago. Notice how special I am! I'm actually going first. EVEN before some news organization called the Canadian Press! Oooh weee!!! Did I say I'm so special at the Playboy head office in Chicago? Jayde Nicole, the new Playboy Playmate is coming home today to Ontario and she will make her first stop the capital which is Toronto. The Publicist Tina Manzo e-mailed me and let me quote Tina. "Kemi you ROCK" You see that story I did last week when Jayde was named circulated around the building. "The drought is over." A Canadian that's not a blonde or brunette?

The chic's got BLACK HAIR! What are the odds against that? Maybe Jayde could give me the winning numbers to Friday's Super Seven $25 million jackpot too. If you're reading from the States, that's a big jackpot around here plus it's tax free! Hardly do I show you my e-mails but this made my DAY! Fellas, get your butts over there and get an autograph!

4-6pm Tuesday the 13th at Gateway newsstand on 4 College Street downtown . Below is Tina's e-mail........Note how I highlighted the red parts. Am I not special? I LOVE HEF!

" Manzo, Christina " wrote:

Hey Kemi:
Okay, let’s have you come by the autograph signing on Tuesday, May 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Gateway newsstand on 4 College Street .From there, directly following the signing we can go somewhere nearby and you can interview Jayde and maybe we can get some coffee/ snacks! We will need to all wrap up by 7:00 p.m because a reporter from the Canadian Press is planning on talking with Jayde directly after you finish with her. I will have them meet us wherever we decide to have the interview with you so you can get as much time as you need with her!!

What do you think?
Let me know…
Tina

Tina E. Manzo,
Junior Publicist
Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
680 N. Lakeshore Dr .
Chicago , IL 60611
Phone: 312-373-2436
cmanzo@playboy.com

BREAKING NEWS: Remy Ma sentenced to 8 years in Prison!

Girls, leave the guns alone. Money can't always buy you freedom! Remy Ma's wedding plans are up in the air. But a judge has made definite plans for the Grammy-nominated rapper: eight years in prison for shooting a woman outside a Manhattan nightclub. The state Supreme Court sentence was handed today Tuesday a few minutes ago to the 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Remy Smith, for assault, weapon possession and attempted coercion.

David Banner “Get Like Me” Music Video FT. Chris Brown & Yung Joc

LOW DESPARATE RATINGS: What was Babwa Walters thinking? Katt Williams was on "The View?"

Jermaine Dupri, Kanye, Usher, Billboard. Watch this video and Laugh out Loud.....VERY LOUD!

MORE PROBLEMS: AMY Winehouse's father-in-law paralyzed from bike CRASH!

"Her husband she calls Bl-ike's dad is paralyzed!" Troubled star AMY WINEHOUSE is facing more heartache after her father-in-law was seriously injured in a bicycle crash. The singer, 24, and her incarcerated husband Blake Fielder-Civil are both said to be "deeply shocked and upset" after hearing of the accident. Lance Fielder, 67, was racing his bicycle during circuit training near his home in Leicestershire, England, when he crashed his bike and flew over its handlebars. He then spent three hours lying unnoticed in a ditch, according to British reports.

After he was eventually spotted, Fielder was air-lifted to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, England, where he underwent emergency surgery on for a spinal injury. Medics fear he may be paralysed. Fielder's wife Jane, a nurse, says, "At the moment, he's paralysed but it is too early to say if he will be permanently paralysed. I was really worried. After calling the police I went out looking for him. By sheer fluke a lady in a tractor had seen his bicycle and spotted him lying in a ditch." Fielder-Civil is currently behind bars in London's Pentonville Prison after pleading not guilty to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice after allegedly attempting to fix the outcome of a previous trial for grievous bodily harm. He will stand trial for the latest charges in June 2008. We wish this entire family well in all their woes!

MOMMA'S Love: R&B Singer Chaka Khan stands by son after he kills his friend with assault rifle!

CHAKA KHAN is standing by her son DAMIEN as he recovers in a rehab centre after allegedly killing his friend by accident, insisting he will one day be able to "live a good life". In what Khan believes was a tragic accident, her son Damien Holland shot dead Christopher Bailey, 17, with an assault rifle during a 2004 argument in the singer's Los Angeles home. Khan testified daily during the ensuing 2006 trial in support of her son, who was eventually acquitted. And the R&B star insists she is continuing to support him as he undergoes psychological treatment at a U.S. facility.

She says, "With God's grace and God's help, at the trial the truth came out. But for Damien, there's a lot of pain and guilt, and he's been coping with that for the last couple of years. "Right now, he's in rehab and getting all the spiritual and psychological help he will need. He's getting his tool belt full as I did, so that he can live a good and purposeful life of service and come out of that, and be able to live. Because it's tough when you feel responsible for the life of somebody else."

Ludacris returns to High School!

Just like I visit schools in the U.S for 10 years talking about SADD (Students against destructive decisions) Some of you gave me that nice award at C.W Jeffreys last winter when I came to your school. It's not all about awards, I have millions of those. It's about giving back.

Rapper-turned-actor LUDACRIS will return to his former high school to give advice to troubled students. On Tuesday (13May08), Ludacris - real name Christopher Bridges - will visit Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Atlanta, Georgia, to address students about various concerns facing teenagers today, including rape, gang violence and the pressure to sell drugs. According to event organiser Tory Edwards, students have prepared for the ceremony by writing anonymous letters voicing their problems, which will later be placed in a casket and buried.

The star will also plant a tree on the school's campus, which plans to name one of its gymnasiums the Christopher Bridges Gym Of Dreams in the star's honour. The visit will be filmed for a documentary series about the hip-hop star, tentatively titled Behind The Mic. And Bill O'Reilly thinks Rappers like Ludacris are full of bad lyrics..........Above is Luda and I at just the very same place......in a school doing our thing in 2004!

OMG! WHAT'S THIS?: Busta's hype man SPLIFF arrested in Sweden for DRUGS?

Rapper BUSTA RHYMES' associate SPLIFF STAR has been arrested on suspicion of drug possession in Stockholm, Sweden. Spliff Star - real name William Lewis - was arrested on Monday (12May08) after police raided the hotel rooms used by Busta Rhymes and Lewis. According to AllHipHop.com, nothing illegal was found in Rhymes' room, but police recovered an unidentified substance in Lewis' hotel suite.

Lewis - who first appeared alongside Rhymes as the Flipmode Squad in 1996 on his album The Coming - was released from police custody, after giving a urine sample for drugs testing. Rhymes - real name Trevor Smith - is currently serving three years probation for assaulting a fan and his former driver in two separate incidents in 2006. Spliff is my boy. Remember that interview I did with Busta back home in Nigeria in 2006, I met Spliff and hung out with him. What a nice down to earth guy! You know the business and how rappers are targeted anyway. I have my own opinion of these issues!

NO REHAB TITLED SONGS: Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty to do a DUET!

See what I called it? "Duet of the Century." British singers Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse may have had their differences in the past but they are now willing to put those behind them by working together on a new track. Doherty had been released from jail last week after serving just 29 days of his 14-week sentence for violating his probation, and he revealed that his band mate Mick Whitnall has been hard at work on collaboration with Winehouse.

"Mick and Amy have a great relationship. They have been working on material while I was in prison," Contactmusic quoted Doherty as saying. "When I came out I went straight to the recording studio. I just want to get music going," he said. Further Doherty believes that he can stay clean by immersing himself in music. "It's great news really because we've (Babyshambles) been told we will be doing a third album. That will keep me busy and hopefully out of trouble," he added. Jail, drugs and other misfit behaviour's gotta GO!

I DON'T: Jailed Rapper Remy Ma's Prison wedding CANCELLED after fiance Rapper Papoose tried a jail break!

Rapper REMY MA's wedding to long-term partner PAPOOSE has been called off after the groom tried to break his bride-to-be out of jail. The hip-hop star - real name Remy Smith - faces 25 years in jail after she was found guilty of shooting a woman outside a New York nightclub last year 2007. But rapper Papoose - real name Shamele Mackie - was determined to proceed with their pre-planned nuptials and the pair decided to exchange vows in Rikers Island prison in New York on Monday (12May08).

But according to the New York Daily News, the ceremony was cancelled because Mackie tried to smuggle in a handcuff key to break his bride free from jail and subsequently has been banned from visiting his fiancee until November 2008. A prison official tells the publication, "A wedding was scheduled today and a visitor to that wedding service was found to be in possession of jail contraband so the wedding was cancelled. "The key that was found today easily opened handcuffs that we and other law enforcement officials use. "The visitor was sanctioned by not being able to visit Rikers Island again for six months. He was asked to leave. What is going on???

CAKETIME: Happy 40th Birthday PMD (Our darling Parrish of EPMD!)

Parrish J. Smith (born May 13, 1968), better known as PMD (Parrish Makes Dollars), is an east coast rapper from Smithtown, Long Island. PMD, who attended Brentwood High School, currently resides in East Islip. He is a member of the rap group, EPMD with Erick Sermon. He has released three solo albums, 1994's Shade Business, 1996's Business Is Business and 2003's The Awakening. Also, in 2002, he released an album with Japanese hip hop luminary DJ Honda.

Our Darling Parrish and Erick are going to be giving Hiphossip an exclusive interview in the next few weeks. You know about that big 20th anniversary concert that was completely SOLD OUT! My 16 year old son Oyin is their biggest fan and he demands to be on a three way line during the interview. Oyin was not even born when they were rapping but has all their CD's! I am not talking about downloading etc, he went out and bought them all in the ol skool section! Parrish, Canada LOVES YOU!

OH MY: Madonna uses F-word on TV show!!!

Pop superstar Madonna, who performed in Britain recently, used the f-word twice on a TV show, which led to complaints. The sun.co.uk reports that furious complaints followed the broadcast even though the viewers were warned that there might be strong language.

Madonna introduced her song 'Hung Up' on the show, saying, 'You guys are going to have to start f***ing it up out there 'cos I need to feel some love. I'm going to do an old song. But not too old. F**k the present. Let's live in the past.' She had also caused controversy last year when she swore at the Live Earth gig.

BOOK OF SHOCKER COMES OUT TODAY! EXPLOSIVE MEMOIR THAT IS SURE TO SEND SHOCKWAVES THROUGHOUT HOLLYWOOD AND HIP HOP.

HIDING IN HIP HOP: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry - from Music to Hollywood (Atria/Simon & Schuster) By Terrance Dean

There has long been speculation about who's gay, bi-sexual, or on the down low in the entertainment industry. It is this very speculation and guessing game that fuels gossip columns, blind items and entertainment industry blogs. Prior to Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans and It's No Secret by Carmen Bryan, the large majority of celebrity-driven memoirs were published outside of the African American community. Yet, both books told compelling, jaw-dropping page-turners of sex, drugs and hip hop. The stories were not entirely shocking regarding the celebrities mentioned in those pages and served to further heighten their notoriety within the industry and amongst select fans.

There are many revealing stories and first-hand anecdotes offered by Dean about his travails throughout Hollywood and hip hop. Readers will be introduced to a wide range of personalities, including by not limited to (not their real names):

Jazz, "a nice looking brother, had women swooning when his character as a hard-working, married man graced the television screen. His hit show marked a milestone because of its accurate portrayal of African-American family life. The world doesn't want to know that their favorite actor likes sleeping with other men."

Lucas, "a megastar. No matter what film project he was attached to it was bound to be a box office smash," and Kareem, "a leading sitcom actor, is married to an actress." The film crew took bets on "how often Lucas's 'boyfriend' Kareem would show up and how long he would stay. It was like clockwork; Kareem arrived each day at the same time and went straight to the trailer for hours on end. Our circle was talking about the down low circle Lucas and Kareem were in. But it was a hard nut to crack; they were superstars."

Gus, a singer, attractive with "clear skin, dark eyes, bushy eyebrows, and short, wavy hair did not give way for a thug image. He was just too pretty." "One morning, I turned on my television and I wasn't prepared for what I saw on BET- my boy, Gus, parade in his video with a host of celebrity cameos mean mugging for the camera- I just wondered how he would keep his secret of sleeping with men a secret."

However, former MTV and Hollywood insider Terrance Dean writes a compelling account of his tumultuous life involved with celebrities and a taboo secret they would prefer never, ever be revealed in his new book HIDING IN HIP HOP. To visit further with Terrance Dean as he reveals his eloquent voice, go to www.TerranceDean.blogspot.com and his special "Confession" blog hosted by SOHH.com at http://blogs.sohh.com/confessions/.

CRANK THAT........MARY J AND MARIAH ROCKS!: Hey Kelly, who cares anymore if Beyonce got married or is pregnant?

One decent cake for ten!

The newlyweds. See some of her music trophies in the background

Mary's sweet mom and the newlyweds

Mary's brother, mom, Mary and her sisters

R&B singer KELLY ROWLAND has laughed off reports her close pal BEYONCE KNOWLES is pregnant, insisting her former DESTINY'S CHILD bandmate would be "mad" if she heard the latest rumours.Reports Knowles is expecting surfaced online last month, just days after her secret New York wedding to hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. The newlyweds have so far refused to confirm they have become husband and wife, let alone address the pregnancy rumours, but Rowland - who was a guest at their nuptials - insists Knowles is not about to enter motherhood.

However, Rowland has also continued to dodge questions about the widely reported wedding, saying: "Everybody keeps talking about this wedding that supposedly happened. That's a question that you'd have to ask her!" Of the baby rumours, the Work singer laughs, "You know what's funny about this, all three of us (Destiny's Child members) have been pregnant at one time. Kelly we weren't born yesterday? Does she think we really believe that there was no wedding? WHO CARES ANYMORE?

Today, I was savouring that People magazine with Mariah and Nick's wedding and the cashier at the drugstore was giving me this dirty look of "buy the damn thing." There is one classy hip-hop artist when I used to blog this site as ATLCelebritynews.com in 2004 when I created the idea. Her name is Mary J Blige. She got married winter 2004 in a low-key wedding at her home. Her cake was so tiny, no elaborate hidingdetails of the wedding though it was private with only family. Even darling Mariah and Britney sold their pics to People. People had to resort on putting Beyonce on yet another cover for NOTHING! That was a waste of their money as they knew everyone read that stuff online.

Kelly Rowland goes on ranting........."We were on stage and supposedly we looked pregnant! "I think that it happens, people say that all the time and there are so many rumours about a wedding, so many rumours about so much stuff that it (Beyonce being pregnant) is probably next in line. "I mean, even before (there were) the wedding rumours (there) were baby rumours; before the wedding rumours there were wedding rumours, you know what I mean? So, no, there's no truth to that. She would be mad, she'd be like, 'I'm what?'

Please enjoy Mrs Kendu Phillips' pictures above that were sent to me by her then Publicist in 2004.......How private can a wedding be with like 8 people and still send out their photos to the fans. If you missed them then, here they are! Thank God for computer hard drives! Below is the holiday card Britney's people sent me the very same year (2004) when she got married to K-Fed. Hiding your nupitals from the fans is TACKY! Click on Britney's card to see the greetings closer. Thank God, I keep these things in my "starstruck" folder. I love Britney. See more of her on my single moms blog.

DEFINITELY FICTION: Kelly wants to be an AUTHOR!!

Former DESTINY's CHILD star KELLY ROWLAND wants to follow in the footsteps of her pop peers MADONNA and GERI HALLIWELL - by releasing her own range of children's literature. I guess we won't hear anything about Beyonce's kid in there!

The former Destiny's Child star, 27, has already carved out a successful music career and has ventured into Hollywood (where?) - but she's got her sights set on hitting book store shelves with her very own kids' tales. Tales alright! And she's determined to establish herself as a serious author and actress within the next three years - before she turns 30. Good luck Ms Kelly!

ELEVATED STATUS: FloRida and Fresh Prince named one of the 25 fittest guys in America!

Like they say in the ghetto, Who you telling? Look at that body FloRida got! JAMES BOND star DANIEL CRAIG, country singer DIERKS BENTLEY, WILL SMITH and rapper FLO RIDA have been named among the 25 Fittest Guys in America. The quartet join U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama and top golfer Tiger Woods among the fit list in the new issue of Men's Fitness magazine. As long as there are no STEROIDS on board!

DOUBLE TROUBLE: J-Lo going on tour with Skeletor and THE TWINS??

JENNIFER LOPEZ and MARC ANTHONY's baby twins are set to visit Europe this summer (08) with their proud parents. Is J-Lo and Skeletor crazy? El paparazzi crazyo la cante!!! Anthony has revealed his newborn children Max and Emme will join him and his wife when he tours Spain in June (08). The Spanish paps will come at them like flies on a dead body! There are some things you just gotta leave at home!

In a press conference with the Spanish media last week, the singer said that "family and (his) laptop" were the only things he couldn't live without during this tour, which begins on 21 June (08). And Anthony insists he's more than justified in taking Lopez and their twins on the road with him: "When I perform in Spain... they will inspire me." And he won't be making big demands backstage: "I just need toys for the kids."

WATCH ELLEN TODAY!!!: Mariah and Nick Cannon give Ellen Degeneres a surprise 50th birthday party!

Newlyweds MARIAH CAREY and NICK CANNON served up the perfect belated 50th birthday treat for comedienne/chat show host ELLEN DE GENERES on Saturday (11May08) when they showed up for her all star party. Mr and Mrs. Cannon joined other celebrity couples Paris Hilton and Benji Madden, David and Courteney Cox Arquette and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at the bash, held on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, where DeGeneres tapes her daily show.

It was one of Carey and Cannon's first events as man and wife. The couple wed in secret at the singer's Bahamas retreat on 30 April (08). Carey will make her first TV appearance since marrying Cannon on DeGeneres' show Ellen on Tuesday (13May08).....TODAY! Studio bosses created a carnival for the big party, complete with a ferris wheel, bumper cars and a carousel, while Pink and top DJ Samantha Ronson provided the event's music.

Rapper Will Smith to star in the movie about the world's most expensive bottle of wine!

WILL SMITH has bottled up a new movie project after optioning the film rights to wine saga THE BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR: THE MYSTERY OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF WINE. Bosses at the movie star's production company were won over by Benjamin Wallace's chronicle of the auction house fight for a 1787 bottle of Chateau Lafite, which was rumoured to have belonged to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Wallace claimed that Jefferson was duped into thinking the wine was a rare vintage and as such the son of billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes bought doctored cheap wine for $156,000 the world record for a single bottle.

Singer Vanessa Williams dishes out wise words at her graduation!

UGLY BETTY star VANESSA WILLIAMS graduated from college on Saturday (10May08) with inspiring words for the younger generation of students. Williams dropped out of Syracuse University - where she studied musical theatre from 1981 to 1983 - to become a model. She became the first black Miss America in 1983, before being stripped of the title when she posed nude in Penthouse magazine.

The university decided to award Williams the remaining credit necessary for her degree and invited her to a graduation ceremony in New York state. Taking to the stage, 45-year-old Williams told graduates, "These days are irreplaceable and are the beginning of the rest of your life. Treasure the moment."

GET WELL SOON: Toni Braxton is NOT coming back to stage soon!

LATEST: TONI BRAXTON's Las Vegas stage return has been delayed again after the singer cancelled a string of shows last month (Apr08) due to a prolonged illness. The R&B singer, who has a heart condition, was set to return to the stage on 6 May (08), but has put off headlining her Toni Braxton: Revealed show for at least another month, according to reports. The star scrapped shows at the Flamingo Las Vegas on 7 April (08) after she was briefly hospitalised with chest pains.

The 40-year-old is said to be desperate to get back to the show as her run at the Las Vegas venue is due to end in August (08). A representative for Grammy-winning Braxton refuses to comment on her medical condition.

BET's CEO blasts Washington Post!

DC-based Black Entertainment Television Chairman Debra Lee fires back at the Washington Post for its critical piece of a few days ago. "We are proving every day that BET can thrive as a business while offering the full range of images - yes, including some that our critics would prefer to never see. We regret that the Post seemed to have made so little effort to acknowledge how we are changing, improving and serving the needs and aspirations of our viewers - aspirations that are more often than not ignored by other networks." In a letter-to-the-editor in Saturday's Post.

NEW MUSIC: T.I featuring R.Kelly

Life of the Party featuring R.Kelly

It's OK......

SOME BAD WHOOPING: 'SUGE' KNIGHT KNOCKED OUT IN CLUB FIGHT!

Hip-hop mogul MARION 'SUGE' KNIGHT caused havoc at a Hollywood nightclub on Saturday night (10May08) when he became embroiled in a fight with another partygoer - and got knocked unconscious. The Death Row Records founder was enjoying a night out at Shag when he and his entourage got involved in a verbal altercation with an unnamed man, reportedly in an argument about money. The fight soon turned physical, and Knight's party is said to have assaulted the man.

But the alleged victim hit back and managed to slam a right hook into Knight, knocking him to the ground and leaving him bleeding and out cold for almost three minutes, reports TMZ.com. Knight's entourage helped him to his feet and an unidentified woman then hailed an SUV (sports utility vehicle) to take the heavyset businessman to the hospital. But her attempts to move out of the parking space were also plagued with drama - she backed into both of the cars in front and behind the vehicle, before being removed from the driver's seat by club security. Knight was eventually taken to a local Los Angeles hospital, where he received treatment for minor injuries. However, Knight is refusing to file a police report or help the L.A. Police Department with its inquiries.

WHITE BOY HATES HISPANIC GIRL: Affleck hated J-Lo Video! (Yawn...Who cares Ben?)

Hollywood actor BEN AFFLECK regrets starring in ex-fiancee JENNIFER LOPEZ's music video - because it nearly ruined his career. (What career did this guy have anyway?) Affleck, 35, began dating the Latina singer in 2002 and later that year, he made a cameo in her music video Jenny From The Block. In the promo, the actor can be seen rubbing sun tan lotion onto Lopez's bottom. In the following years, the couple's high-profile romance proceeded to cross over from the tabloids onto the big screen, culminating in the 2003 box office flop Gigli. And the Pearl Harbor star is now convinced bringing his personal life into the spotlight was damaging to his career.

He says, "If I have a big regret, it was doing the music video. But that happened years ago. I've moved on." But Affleck insists he isn't blaming Lopez for his career nosedive: "It not only makes me look like a petulant fool (to blame Lopez), but it surely qualifies as ungentlemanly? For the record, did she hurt my career? No." The pair became engaged in 2002 but called off their relationship in 2003. YAWN! BEN....

You Said It........XXL magazine is your favourite.

We asked if magazines had an award show, which one would be your fave. You said XXL magazine with 38% of the votes. Kudos to Canada's Urbanology for coming second with 24% of the votes and Source, Vibe and Hiphop Weekly came third.

Michael Jackson prevents sale of Neverland!

Does he want it back? MICHAEL JACKSON has prevented a foreclosure sale on his Neverland Ranch after a loan on the property was sold to an investment firm. The California estate was reportedly scheduled to be sold off on 14 May (08) if Jackson failed to pay $24.5 million he owed in property taxes - but Colony Capital, a New York-based private equity group, stepped in to buy his loan. A statement from Jackson says the star is in discussions with Colony and its founder Tom Barrack Jr. "with regard to the ranch and other matters". The company is reported to be "very comfortable" holding the loan while it negotiates payment terms

Snoop Dogg Shoots A Country-Style Video With His 'Soldier' Willie Nelson.

'It's not a typical hip-hop song, but once people listen to it and see the visual effect to it, they're gonna enjoy it,' Snoop says of 'My Medicine.'

R.I.P TO TELL YOU ABOUT: Gospel singer Dottie Rambo dies in tour bus wreck in Mo.

I love some gospel music. There is no hip-hop connection but early yesterday Mother's day, I learned that Dottie Rambo, dynamic gospel singer DIED when her tour bus CRASHED. Her fans will be so DEVASTATED especially those comments on her MySpace site. The last log-in always hurts me when an artist dies. The site was filled with tour dates till the end of August. Dolly Parton paid tribute to her last night. May she rest in perfect peace!

THIS IS NO SELITA RING: Mariah Cannon's ring is $16million!

Singer Mariah Carey, who married rapper Nick Cannon earlier this month, received a 14-carat, pink diamond ring worth $16 million from her husband as a wedding gift. Mirror.co.uk quotes a source as saying: 'Nick has been besotted since he first met Mariah on a US TV show three years ago. Just before they got married, he got down on one knee again and gave her the pink diamond ring he'd had custom made. She was stunned and thrilled.'

T.I.: 'PARANOIA LED TO ARREST'

Rapper T.I. blames fear for the safety of his family and his own life for his arrest on illegal weapons charges last year. T.I. - real name Clifford Harris - was arrested while allegedly attempting to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers just hours before he was set to take the stage at the U.S. BET Hip Hop Awards last October. The 27-year-old rapper took a plea deal in March and was sentenced to one year in prison and a minimum of 1,000 hours of community service. After Philant's death, his personal assistance, he got really armed in my opinion and that can be classified paranoia!

He told BET's Access Granted on Wednesday (07May08), "You can't assume everyone out there likes you, so it's easy to get caught up in paranoia." The rapper admits his conviction has changed his outlook on life, and has now adopted an anti-weapons stance. He adds, "I must be a man and stand up and accept responsibility. I can't talk about guns and drugs as elaborately because they're not part of my life anymore. If you think guns, drugs and violence are cool, I think you are definitely missing the point... There's nothing cool about going to jail."

Usher upset British concertgoers by calling the WRONG CITY!

R&B star USHER failed to impress festival goers with his appearance at Radio 1's Big Weekend concert in England - after shouting out the name of the wrong city to the audience. The Yeah singer opened the BBC radio' station's festival in Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, on Saturday (10May08) but upset the 30,000 strong crowd after greeting them by shouting out "Hello Manchester".

Although the crowd, which was mostly made up of people native to Maidstone, took offense at the star calling out the wrong name, the rest of the urban hunk's set went down well with fans. The event is the biggest free ticketed music festival in Europe, and has previously been held in Dundee, Scotland and Preston, North West England. As well as Usher, the crowd were treated to pop superstar Madonna's only U.K. festival appearance this year (08), when she performed tracks from her new LP Hard Candy.

Listen to Daniel Sparks audition during the Canadian Idol trials.

Listen to him here and rate his performance Daniel is an aspiring young singer who auditioned for Canadian Idol. There he is with his mom at the auditions.

SELF EXPLANATORY: Mom's home office is CLOSED!

100 YEARS OF MOTHER'S DAY!1908-2008

Even the station's office is closed too..........See you on Monday. The boys have disconnected the high speed cable modem, external hard drive and everything else you see on my desk. KJ made me this huge card and a wishing well in school. Meanwhile he gets to play on his laptop. NO BLOGGING FOR ME TODAY, they say! My 16 year old is in the States right now and is not pictured. Happy Mother's Day! Susan Ruane Dao.........Happy Mothers and birthday!

The Mother's Day Video

Happy Mother's Day to all......from all the hip-hop MAMA'S BOYS!

You know who all these bad boys of hip-hop are........You know they say the boys are the ones that are close to mama and the girls........daddy. I have learned in my early broadcast career when I was a young sports reporter, we would go to HS football, basketball or hockey games and the minute I bought out the camera, the boys will crowd around my lens and yell into the camera....HI MOM! They NEVER say HI DAD! From Usher to The Game to Nelly To Weezy to T.I to Kanye, we say Happy Mama's Day once again.....

Ne-Yo wants you to get "CLOSER" to your Mom this Mother's Day!

Ne-Yo invites you to send a personalized greeting to your mother this “Mother’s Day.” Start creating your personalized message to your mother, or a special mother by clicking here...... Ne-Yo will be in Toronto early June with Alicia Keys.

A ‘Rock the Cradle’ Winner Is Crowned and it's Crosby Loggins....Kenny Loggin's kid!