Usher, Cyndi Lauper and more

The release of his fifth album, "Here I Stand," may have been delayed by six months, but Usher made up for lost time with his recent smash "Love in This Club," featuring Young Jeezy; the eighth No. 1 hit of the R&B juggernaut's career, the track jumped from No. 51 to the top of the charts in a single week, the third-biggest leap to No. 1 in Billboard history. And although he devoted much of late 2007 to family life (the license plate depicted on the cover of "Here I Stand" bears the digits 1126 -- his son's birthday), he still plays the lover man on "Trading Places" and his current smash duet with Beyonce, "Love in This Club Part II." Listen for additional cameos by Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and will.i.am, and beats and grooves crafted by A-list producers including Jermaine Dupri, Jazze Pha, Dre & Vidal and Tricky Stewart.

Usher has his charms, but when it comes to R&B crooners who set the mood for romance, Al Green remains virtually untouchable; just drop "Let's Stay Together" at a wedding reception sometime and watch the couples pack the floor. The good Reverend continues his recent winning streak with "Lay It Down." The disc was co-produced by Green with two of the most revered young guns around -- Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots and keyboard player James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Common, Lauryn Hill) -- and features guest appearances by Corinne Bailey Rae (the sublime "Take Your Time"), John Legend, and the Dap-Kings horn section (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse). But even with all these youngsters involved, "Lay It Down" still sounds of a piece with Green's classic Memphis sides for Hi Records. As it should be, says Thompson: "The reason why we are doing this is because we all idolize Al Green. Even today, nobody has range like him."

Music Source

Urban Verbs: Back for One Night Only

All Things Considered, May 24, 2008 - In the late 1970s, D.C.-based band Urban Verbs was snapped up by a major label to become the "next big thing" in the burgeoning New Wave scene. It was a demo tape produced by Brian Eno that got them the attention of Warner Bros. However, after two albums, the label unceremoniously dropped Urban Verbs and the band broke up soon thereafter. This weekend, the band reunites for one show only at the 9:30 Club.

Guest host Guy Raz speaks with the original members.

Music Source

COLLINS TO COLLABORATE WITH AKON & PHARRELL WILLIAMS

Legendary singer PHIL COLLINS is considering giving his music a modern twist by collaborating with hip-hop stars AKON and PHARRELL WILLIAMS.
The musician admits he is "flattered" to hear the duo is keen to work with him and is equally surprised they are fans of his music.
He tells Rolling Stone magazine, "I'm flattered that they've expressed the interest publicly, risking their careers in doing so.
"Anything is possible and I certainly would investigate doing that if I did think about doing something." It's not the first time the Collins' original material has been reworked by R&B heavyweights - Brandy, L'il Kim and Kelis sang updated versions of Collin's hits on 2001's Urban Renewal LP.

MARIAH RUBS OFF ON NICK CANNON

Newlywed Nick Cannon has developed Mariah itis judging by his three-hours-late appearance at Operation Smile’s Fifth Annual Smile Event held at Skylight Studios in NYC. (Mariah Carey is notoriously running behind – she was 11 hours late for interviews to promote her new album E=MC2.)
Around 8:30 p.m., Mariah’s bodyguard, dressed in a dapper white jacket, begins scoping out the scene. He’s pacing the street. Photogs crack that she could walk – she lives nearby.
But when her new hubby Nick finally arrives, he makes it all worth it. How is he feeling? “I’m good,” he beams, smiling from ear-to-ear. I’ve talked to Nick on so many red carpets over the years. He’s lapping up the attention.
Operation Smile ambassador Jessica Simspon can’t be here tonight because she celebrating Ashlee’s nups, but gal pal Jamie Lynn Sigler brings her pregnant sister-in-law Whitney and bro Mark. And, it’s Jamie Lynn’s birthday! “I slept in really, really late,” she tells me. “I got a huge balloon bouquet from my girlfriends back in L.A. It was a surprise. I got a lot of nice e-mails and phone calls. Birthdays are a nice time to catch up with people you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Later I’ll meet up with some friends.”
Donald Trump tells me he got into trouble with NBC for saying he’d like O.J. Simpson to appear on the next Celebrity Apprentice, which starts taping in October. “I wouldn’t say NBC was thrilled,” he admits.
And it’s a special night for his son, Donald Jr., who is here with wife Vanessa.
“It’s funny because a year ago at this event, on the red carpet Vanessa went into labor,” Ivanka’s brother tells me. “It’s a pretty special time for us, coming back here. Last year at this time, she was literally about to explode and literally almost exploded on this red carpet.”
Their baby girl, Kai, recently celebrated her birthday. “We had a big party for her and her 25 – I didn’t know babies had – friends. Her 25 closest friends. Vanessa set up a Mickey and Minnie Mouse-themed party. She had a lot of fun. She’s getting big and growing well.”
What are playdates like for the kids of The Donalds? “They hang around and drool on each other and play. Barron’s a year-and-a-half older, so there’s still a bit of an age gap.”
Tinsley Mortimer, sister Dabney Mercer, former Pussycat Doll Carmit Bachar and Olivia Palermo strut through. Turns out, Olivia considers Mariah a neighbor. “She lives right next door,” she tells me. “We’re happy to have her in the neighborhood.”
And, many of us -- including the Trumps -- are long gone by the time Mariah deigns to arrive.
http://www.okmagazine.com/

Madonna’s $471,000 Chanel Bag: Worth More Than a Kiss from Clooney!

The annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS benefit kicked off in the hills high above Cannes yesterday. Last year, George Clooney auctioned off a kiss for $300,000, but this year Madonna’s alligator Chanel purse was the star of the show. The black alligator bag with a clasp studded with 334 diamonds was the actual purse she carried to the event, and that’s not all. She even gave up everything in the haute couture bag including Shu Uemura blotting paper, lip gloss — “It actually touched my lips”, Madonna noted — lip balm, a magnifying mirror, and throat lozenges. The only thing she took out was her blackberry and phone, explaining “I’m not going to give up my blackberry and phone because that’s too expensive for you.” The final winning bid? 300,000 euros — that’s over $471,000 — for AIDS research! Sorry George, looks like Madonna’s chic purse is worth more than your kiss. As Madonna joked, “That’s cheap. Everyone’s kissed George Clooney.” Check out a behind the scenes peek at the amfAR benefit, including Madonna’s auction and Sharon Stone’s welcome.

Story of 'unseen' Lennon lyrics

A woman from London is set to make a fortune when John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for the anti-war song Give Peace a Chance go up for auction this summer.

They are expected to fetch between £200,000 and £300,000.
Gail Renard was a student in Montreal in May 1969, when Lennon and wife Yoko Ono arrived to hold a "bed-in" at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hotel.
She and a friend sneaked into the hotel - Renard calls it a "Mission: Impossible" routine - and up to their door.
"Yoko answered and I asked if I could have an interview for my school newspaper.
"She graciously said yes. She asked us in, and I was suddenly face-to-face with John Lennon."
Renard and Lennon became instant friends, and he asked her to stay and help with the "bed-in".
"It was Alice in Wonderland," Renard says of the eight-day experience.
"I was a 16-year-old, with a Beatle who was my hero, and it was just a circus every minute.
"On the last day, John wanted to record a song," Renard recalls.
"We didn't know what it was at the time."

After recording Give Peace a Chance, Lennon gave Renard his original lyrics for her to keep.
These spent years hanging on a wall in Renard's study but were then moved for safety, ending up in a vault.
"I thought, this is ridiculous," she said.
"They should be out with somebody who can enjoy them, and they should be seen again."
She also believes the song and Lennon's message have a particular resonance now.
"It's my way of thanking him, to get his message and his song out there again, and have people thinking about it and talking about it."
The piece is the highlight of Christie's rock and pop memorabilia auction on 10 July in London.
"Beatles lyrics, and particularly in John Lennon's hand, rarely surface on the auction market, so it's very much a unique opportunity," said Helen Hall, head of popular culture at the auction house.
Other items being sold will include a collage made by Lennon as a birthday card for Elton John in the 1970s, plus an amplifier played on stage by Jimi Hendrix.

Miley Cyrus Accused of Song Stealing

Much like Avril Lavigne before her, pop teen queen Miley Cyrus is facing yet another (though non-photographic) scandal as a rock band is considering suing her due to some remarkable similarities between their tune and Miley's song 'Rockstar.'

Miley Caught Red-Handed?

Crystal Castles close The Great Escape

Crystal Castles closed The Great Escape festival with a chaotic show in the early hours of this morning (May 18) at Club NME at the Brighton Barfly.
Taking the stage at 2am (BST) the duo played a raucous set of energetic electro-rock, which saw singer Alice Glass spend almost the entire show suspended above the crowd, balancing on both security guards and crowd members.

The security guards seemed baffled by the singer's frenetic stage style, seemingly unsure whether to attempt to pull her back from the crowd or help suspend her. As such she was ducked back and forth repeatedly as she sang.
The gig was rammed, with fans having queued extensively for a chance to catch the band. Various crowd members joined in Glass's chaotic antics, crowd surfing past her while she sang the likes of 'Air War' and 'Courtship Dating'.
The gig wrapped up the three-day festival, which saw hundreds of bands play gigs across venues in the coastal city.
Before Crystal Castles' set at the Barfly Lightspeed Champion played a well-received show at the venue. Wearing his trademark furry hat he played songs including 'Galaxy Of The Lost' and 'Midnight Surprise'.
Lightspeed Champion – aka Dev Hynes – was on energetic form, mounting a speaker stack near the death of the set while playing his guitar, then hurling himself onto the keyboard causing a cascade of sound as he smashed against the keys and the instrument collapsed.
Earlier in the day, at 4pm, Kid Harpoon played a secret gig at the Audio venue with singer/songwriter Soko.
The duo took it in turns to sing backing and lead vocals and play the ukulele. They played songs including 'Milkmaid', 'Peanut Butter' and 'Late For The Devil' and were watched by members of Friendly Fires.
Ida Maria was another performer to play a secret gig, playing on the balcony outside the Theatre Royal. The singer played a three-song set, bringing movement on the pavement below to a standstill as fans clamoured to catch the short show.
Dead Kids, meanwhile, played an impromptu jam on the seafront, then much to fans’ delight hurled themselves into the ocean for a splash around.
Over at the Revenge club Cheeky Cheeky And The Nosebleeds played an energetic set of retro-pop, with the band asking fans to dance along to their songs, 'Slow Kids' and 'Fascinating'.
Despite playing her jovial secret gig with Kid Harpoon earlier, Soko was in a wretched mood during her later show at the Concorde 2 venue at the bash organised by MTV2 Gonzo.
Complaining about the lighting levels, the singer/songwriter said, "Well, do you care if it's on MTV or do you care if I play a good gig? So, please can I have some low lights?"
The lights were eventually turned down for Soko and she continued her set, which included 'How Are You?'.

However, Soko soon began complaining again, this time about the noisy audience, many of whom were chatting amongst themselves. "If you feel like talking caan you go outside?" she said angrily. "Thank you for talking, and thank you for the lights" she later said before leaving the stage.
Later on many bands headed to Club NME at the Barfly to drink and dance the last night of the festival away.

Music News

Ashlee Simpson marries love Pete Wentz in intimate LA ceremony

Pop singer Ashlee Simpson, the younger sister of actress Jessica, has tied the knot with her beau of two years, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. The intimate ceremony took place a month after announcing their engagement.

The bride was dressed in an ivory lace wedding gown by Filipino designer Monique Lhuillier, accessorised with a diamond necklace and earrings. Ashlee, 23, exchanged vows with her 28-year-old beau in front of 150 family and friends at her parent's estate in LA.

Performing the non-denominational ceremony was dad Joe Simpson, with Jessica serving as maid-of-honour. Acting as an unusual ring-bearer was the groom's pet bulldog, Hemingway.

By Jessica's side was her beau Tony Romo, dispelling rumours the two had split. Guests also included Nicole Richie, with her Good Charlotte rocker love Joel Madden.

The newlyweds, who are expecting their first child together, held an Alice In Wonderland themed reception featuring a wedding cake with a top hat, teapot and stopwatch on the top.

New Kids Perform Live, Make Our Intern’s Dreams Come True

There are some things that we don’t understand about our intern Rya. To wit: how is it possible that someone obsessed with “Gossip Girl” can also be a Blockhead? Yes, that’s right — our “GG” expert is also a huge fan of New Kids on the Block, which explains why she woke up at the crack of dawn this morning:

This morning, Manhattan’s renowned Rockefeller Center became Block-efeller center — a strip of city blocks packed with grown women who came from all ends of the Earth to witness an event a decade-and-a-half in the making: the triumphant return of the hottest pop group of yesteryear, New Kids on the Block. A month after an older, sleeker incarnation of the five men from Boston was unveiled, another curtain dropped – this time, a banner with the band’s new logo. The band performed a medley of their greatest hits and their newest cut as a part of the “Today” Summer Concert Series.
Naturally, yours truly was on the scene. I was there for the very same reason many other women were in the audience: to see a band that they were far too young to see in concert during their heyday. Quite frankly, I felt all too much like my four-year-old self as I scrambled for a better view (or for that matter, any view), got pushed around my much older fans wearing NKOTB shirts (some threadbare, presumably from being worn in heavy rotation two decades ago), yearned for face time with Joey, and sang along far too loudly to songs I didn’t realize I still knew by heart…
I got to Blockefeller Center at an ungodly 6:00 am. However, the show’s outdoor plaza had long been teeming with Blockheads, evident by all the folding chairs, New Kid blankies, and McDonald’s bags that lined 48th Street. A line of people trying to get into the pit in front of the stage snaked around the block, and the lucky first few were allowed in to watch rehearsal. Rehearsal! As space the pit reached half-capacity, it was only then that fans who began waiting at midnight were being allowed in. They were a full six hours ahead of me. I never had a chance.
At 8:40, the group was set to perform. Every once in a while, the band would start to play, causing grown women to shriek at dog-whistle decibels. I was finally settled into my barricaded section far, far from the stage and becoming acquainted with fellow fans who had traveled from as far away as Virginia and Florida for the historic event. Soon, rehearsals began during commercial breaks, and the excitement mounted as a collective realization dawned on the crowd that ohmygod! this is really happening!
The performance was in a word, majestic — on par with a very surreal, delicious meal. For appetizers, the Kids served a medley of their greatest hits. The first verse of “Step By Step” turned into the “oooooh-ooohh-oohhh-ooooh-oh!” refrain from “Hangin’ Tough” — but not before Donnie’s voice cracked as he called out to the audience. Adorable! We love you anyway!
After a quick dance break, the group shed their matching blazers, and they were down to untucked shirts and sneakers. The look was more “with-it real estate broker” than “pop icons with a vengeance.” To stand out as the group’s resident bad boy, Donnie donned a baseball cap. Joey then donned his signature top hat and serenaded with a section from “Please Don’t Go, Girl,” before the group launched into the obviously amazing crowd-pleaser “The Right Stuff.”
After another break, they returned for the main course, their latest single “Summertime.” Quite frankly, had this been an actual meal, I would’ve sent it back to the kitchen — but I’m afraid of Blockheads, and therefore, that’s all I’ll say about that.
And at long last: dessert! Donnie dedicated this number to “all the fans who weathered the rain” (such cordial words from the man who taught me the importance of fire safety), and Jordan got on the keyboard for a rousing rendition of “Tonight.” On the “Today” show — get it!? Concept number! Truth be told, I can’t objectively tell you how rousing it was, because I found myself plunged into some kind of estrogen-rich sing-along. Security guards were dancing; the woman standing in front of me announced to the crowd that she was going to leave her boyfriend for Joey; the man standing next to me continuously professed his love for Jordan; and the song became indelibly carved into my brain.
I am still humming “Tonight” as I write this. Thanks, New Kids!!

Music News

Lily Allen jokes about topless photos at the Cannes film festival

Pop singer Lily Allen was among the partygoers at the Cannes film festival tonight, where she joked about topless paparazzi photographs of her which appeared this week.

The star was attending a party to celebrate the pending release of the film How To Lose Friends and Alienate People in Cannes, which is based on the memoirs of British journalist Toby Young.
Asked if she was upset by the topless photographs, Miss Allen answered: "No, it's my body. I heard I was a Page Three girl."
She said her recently dyed blonde hair was likely to be a lasting style and said blondes had more fun.
Miss Allen, 23, said she had come to Cannes for the party and also to meet her father, Keith Allen, the actor.
The singer, who recently hosted her own BBC3 chat show, is enjoying a holiday after suffering a miscarriage and splitting from her boyfriend, Ed Simons of dance outfit the Chemical Brothers.
In the past, she has reportedly suffered a lack of confidence about her body shape.She has recently been spotted on nights out with Gavin and Stacey star James Corden, but the pair maintain they are just good friends.The musician is recording a new album and said it was "going really, really well".
"I'm really, really happy. I'm really excited about it," she added.
Miss Allen has been staying at the exclusive Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc at the resort on the French Riviera, and has been caught sunbathing topless, photographs of which have appeared in the British national press.

Top 10 selling artists

1. The Beatles

What can be said about the Beatles that hasn't already been said? Throughout their career, these four fab lads redefined themselves, our culture, and rock and pop music--their effect is still being felt today, which makes it pretty much impossible to make a list of top artists without acknowledging their influence.

2. U2

From their humble roots in the early '80s to their current status as quite possibly the best recording band in the world, U2 holds a unique place in world of rock music. They've remained relevant by crafting melodically catchy and emotionally resonant music that speaks to the times, yet never feels dated or out of place--anthemic pop music that truly makes the whole world sing.

3. Norah Jones

Back in 2002, nobody could have predicted the meteoric rise of jazzy songstress Norah Jones. Appealing to everyone from soccer moms to rock-freak Mike Patton (who used her on his latest project), Norah's soothing piano and sultry vocals took the world by storm. With only two albums under her belt, she has already made her mark--we're looking forward to more.

4. Johnny Cash

Unrivaled in the world of music as both a songwriter and performer, Johnny Cash set the standard for many country performers that followed in his footsteps, and remained an active, vital, and important artist for his entire career. From his early days at Sun Records to his stunning series of "American Recordings" produced by Rick Rubin, the Man in Black's storytelling and emotional transparency never faltered, securing his spot in our Top 10.

5. Diana Krall

Diana Krall is at once anachronistic and staunchly modern--her ability to make decades-old standard jazz tunes reverberate with a new life lends her a cross-generational appeal few artists enjoy. With her traditional staccato piano style and smooth dynamic vocals, it's easy to fall under her spell.

6. Bob Dylan

Remaining a relevant, active artist for nearly a half century is no easy task, especially in the finicky ever-changing world of music, but for Bob Dylan, it seems to be both effortless and natural. As both an oft-covered songwriter and unique performer, Dylan has influenced countless followers with his chameleonic musicality ranging from folk to rock to blues to country.

7. Frank Sinatra

As the artist who brought to life the definitive versions of many of America's classic standards, Frank Sinatra easily makes our list of top 10 artists. With his inimitable voice, this legendary rat-packer simply sings some of our all-time favorite songs.

8. Dixie Chicks

With their major label debut, Wide Open Spaces, the Dixie Chicks exploded onto both the country and pop charts, and with each subsequent album demonstrated over and over that their initial success was no fluke. Weathering controversy with confidence, they've proven their staying power and ability to appeal across genre lines while maintaining their personal and musical integrity.

9. Enya

Getting her start with Irish mainstay Clannad, Enya broke out on her own in a big way with 1988's Watermark. With a sound uniquely her own, encompassing layered vocal textures, plucked strings, and tranquil synth pads, Enya has solidified her place not only in Celtic and New Age music, but deeply within our hearts.

10. Rod Stewart

Beginning his career with the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces, Rod Stewart has traveled a diverse artistic path, flirting with blues, folk, rock, disco, and American standards. Whether you prefer him as a young bluesy rocker, an '80s pop interpreter, or a dignified sensual crooner, Rod Stewart and his trademark raspy vocals deliver the goods.

Boy, 12, takes top music prize

A 12-year-old trombone player has been crowned the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008, becoming the youngest winner the contest has ever had.
Peter Moore, from Stalybridge beat four other finalists at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Peter, whose family all play brass instruments, performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Belfast-born Peter, who started playing trombone when he was six, is the 30th winner of the competition.
Peter said: "I want to be a soloist, so this is a fantastic platform to start from."
The competition was hosted by Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones and singer Aled Jones

Music News

Coldplay tour dates

Coldplay announced dates for “Viva La Vida” North American tour.

The upcoming album will be released on June, 17th. The record produced by Brian Eno and Markus Dravs is the follow up to “X&Y”. In 2005 it debuted #1 in 32 countries and 10 million copies are sold worldwide.

Band will perform the main hit ‘Violet Hill’ on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” on June 26th and on the TODAY show on NBC on Friday, June 27th.

Rolling Stone named ‘Violet Hill’ a must-have in a recent “Download” column, saying:

(Lead singer Chris) Martin broods over a lost lover with a snarling acidity that makes him sound more human than ever — miles away from the dreamy romantic he was on soaring ballads like ‘Speed of Sound’”

6/29 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 5/16

7/2 Washington, DC Verizon Center 5/17
7/3 Hartford, CT XL Center 5/17
7/5 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills 5/17
7/6 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 5/17
7/8 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 5/17
7/9 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center 5/17
7/10 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center 5/16
7/12 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena 5/17
7/19 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena 5/17
7/21 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
7/24 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
7/27 Pemberton, BC Pemberton Festival
7/29 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
7/30 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome

8/1 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
8/3 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
8/4 Chicago, IL United Center

10/20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
10/21 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
10/26 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
10/29 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
10/30 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

11/3 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
11/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
11/18 Houston, TX Toyota Center
11/19 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
11/21 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
11/22 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena

Music News

Lil Wayne Biography

Charismatic Southern rapper Lil Wayne began his industry ascendance as one of the Hot Boys, a short-lived Cash Money Records all-star group, and after establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he grew to become a critical favorite, known especially for his entertainting underground mixtapes. Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, LA, Lil Wayne grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans' 17th Ward. There he became acquainted with the Cash Money Records collective, which he eventually joined as a teenager. Get It How U Live! (1997), a Hot Boys album also featuring Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, marked Lil Wayne's album debut; at age 18, he was the youngest group member.

A second Hot Boys album, Guerrilla Warfare (1999), preceded Lil Wayne's solo debut, Tha Block Is Hot (1999). The solo album went double platinum, peaking at number three on Billboard's album chart and spawning a Top Ten hit with the title track. Lil Wayne's second album, Lights Out (2000), failed to match the success of its predecessor, nor did 500 Degreez (2002), his third album. By this point in time, Lil Wayne was the only remaining Hot Boy on Cash Money -- all other members had defected -- and the future didn't seem promising for him or the label. Consequently, he purportedly scrapped work on his fourth album and instead released the recordings as an underground mixtape, Da Drought (2003), his first of many to follow.

Tha Carter (2004) signaled a change in direction for Lil Wayne. The album itself wasn't a huge departure from Lil Wayne's past three -- it's filled to the brim with tracks produced by Cash Money in-house producer Mannie Fresh, some of which could well have been left on the cutting room floor -- yet it showcased a more measured and mature performance by the rapper, who seemed newly emboldened and sported a new look on the album cover (i.e., dreadlocks). The change in direction was commercial as well as musical, as Tha Carter featured Lil Wayne's biggest hit in years, "Go DJ"; moreover, the album itself was a Top Five hit. Also in 2004, Lil Wayne began to be guest-featured regularly, starting with Destiny's Child's "Soldier," a Top Three hit.

A pair of popular 2005 mixtapes, Dedication (with DJ Drama) and Suffix (DJ Khaled), further established Lil Wayne as a dexterous freestyle rapper. Plus, they helped garner additional interest in his music among listeners who weren't part of the usual Cash Money constituency. By the end of the year, Lil Wayne's reputation was such that Tha Carter, Vol. 2, his next Cash Money album, debuted at number two on Billboard's album chart upon its December release, and did so without the benefit of a smash hit ("Fireman" stalled at number 32) or the productions of workhorse Mannie Fresh, who had left Cash Money.

In the wake of Tha Carter, Vol. 2, which was a critical favorite as well as a strong seller, Lil Wayne continued to bolster his reputation and increase his fan base via the mixtape circuit. Of the myriad mixtapes bearing his name from 2006 onward, Dedication, Vol. 2 (DJ Drama, 2006) is a standout; like Tha Carter, Vol. 2, it was a critical favorite, making many end-of-year lists. The Carter, Vol. 2, Pt. 2: Like Father, Like Son (DJ Khaled, 2006) was notable, too, as some of its material was revived for Like Father, Like Son (2006), a major-label collaboration with Baby, aka Birdman, that spawned the hit "Stuntin' Like My Daddy." Lil Wayne also collaborated regularly with Dipset member Juelz Santana during this period. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All

Music Guide

Amy Winehouse Arrested Over Drug Video

MATT DUNHAM/AP PHOTOAmy Winehouse arrives at a police station in late April for questioning in a couple of alleged assault by the singer.

Amy Winehouse is back in police custody, this time over the infamous video that appeared to show the talented but self-destructive singer smoking crack and snorting powdered Ecstasy and cocaine. "Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment," according to a statement from Winehouse's spokeperson. "She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is co-operating fully with enquiries. The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year."

In late April, Winehouse was briefly arrested and released for head-butting a man and slapping another man during a bar crawl. She was given a formal warning.

Nine Inch Nails release new album free online

Nine Inch Nails have made their new studio album, 'The Slip', available to download free.
The album is available to download now from the Nine Inch Nails website. It will receive a conventional CD and vinyl release in July. The album download includes a PDF with art-work and album credits.
'The Slip' was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor plus Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. In a statement to fans Reznor said: "Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years. This one's on me."
Nine Inch Nails previously released an album, 'Ghost I-IV' online in March, with fans choosing how much to pay to download it.

The track-listing of 'The Slip' is:

'999,999'
'1,000,000'
'Letting you'
'Discipline’'
'Echoplex'
'Head Down'
'Lights In The Sky'
'Corona Radiata'
'The Four Of Us Are Dying'
'Demon Seed'

Lil Wayne Won't Tour With G-Unit, But Might With Keyshia Cole; Young Jeezy Explains Rash Of Guest Spots: Mixtape Monday

Plus: Lil Mama demands equal opportunity for female MCs, and Young Dro shows off his 'Swag Shop.'

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Artist: Young Dro

Representing: Grand Hustle

Mixtape/ DVD: I Am Legend/ "The Swag Shop"

411: When you hang out with a guy named Dark Gable, your swag has to be at 110, so you won't get overshadowed. Not a problem for Grand Hustle's Young Dro. If you haven't noticed by the rainbow gators, matching Polo shirts and equally colorful lyrics, the Atlanta native has his own style.

" 'Swag Shop' is a shop where you can whip in and get you a 50-piece swag with extra swag sauce," Dro joked outside of T.I.'s Grand Hustle studio. In reality, "The Swag Shop" is a documentary-style DVD that Dro is putting together with producer Dark Gable. In the DVD's trailer, we see Dro talk to Tip via computer video hookup, touch the town with wife Fantasia and lay vocals in the lab. There will also be some new songs to accompany the release when it hits the streets.

"I'm not going through [the DVD] saying, 'I got swag, swag, swag,' it's just showing," Dro explained. "I'm showing you my regular self. You're gonna be able to see from the way I dress, the oysters I crack open, all the behind-the-scenes stuff."

In the meantime, Dro has his mixtape I Am Legend getting love down bottom.

"People looking at it like an album," he said of the mixtape, while getting ready to leave in his custom Escalade. "[It has a] lot of original songs. We didn't jack for beats too much. Put out a lot of original stuff. We're giving them their money's worth."

Dro's long-talked-about second LP, The Young and Restless, is coming out sometime. We don't know an exact date, but he says this year.

"We're at the last stages of it," he said. "It's about to be a closed casket. I just wanna take my time. It's a lot of people out there rushing." Danjahandz, Mannie Fresh, Akon, Fantasia, T.I., Lil Wayne and Midi Mafia are all on point for the project.

http://www.mtv.com

Robyn and Kylie Minogue

Most of Robyn recasts the teenage hitmaker of a decade ago as a formidable 26-year-old Stockholm chick. Like Mandy Moore and other '90s teenpop survivors, Robyn clashed with the record industry's boneheaded notions of how her career should proceed, eventually stalking out on her own. Now she favors, in addition to tough talk voiced in her slight but unquenchable soprano, fast electro arrangements tending toward the geometric, and beats that her wonderful bio terms "pixilated." She has hitched her creative enterprise to Swedes like Klas Åhlund of Teddybears ("Stockholm's amazing bricolage pop group") and the Knife, a shadowy duo who make "towering, architectural synthpop" and who produced "Who's That Girl" for her—which is towering and architectural, but in a quickly digested way. ("Unbelievably," the bio relates," her [then] label hated it.") Her appeal is questionable when she tries to sound like an American rapper, but on tracks where she just sings—the immaculate junk symphony of "Be Mine," the excellently Japanese "Bum Like You," the Autobahn power-ballad "With Every Heartbeat"—she gives Europop a swift Swedish energy and presence.

Will Robyn, in 10 years' time, be a lustrous international franchise on the order of Madonna—or Kylie? These things are difficult to predict, or even accurately judge: Until I saw Kylie—on 2005's Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, when HBO aired it a while ago—take charge of her years of hits with the blazing musical ownership of Michael Stipe or Mick Jagger, I was clueless about the Australian's top-flight grip on post-disco pop, and began to hear something like her genius 2001 single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" as more than just brilliant production. Her current album, X, is full of songs with a similarly grand pop-rock sense of melody, best enjoyed on addictive tracks like "Sensitized" and "Stars," which indicate just how scintillatingly a pop singer can control tunes without athletic shows of diva technique. But it's not the production, as copiously sexy as it is, that makes this great: It's that Kylie has an ear for fantastic pop-rock tunes restyled for 2008, and she approaches them not as merely amusing sonic glitter, but as totally vital music. Robyn and her bio writer proceed similarly. Of course, it's only pop music—but without the passion, the point gets lost.

Sam Sparro: Sam Sparro

Having already made a considerable impression on radio playlists with this album’s heads-up single, ‘Black & Gold’, twenty-something nu-soul songwriter Sam Sparro finds himself in an enviable position from which to hawk this, his debut album. Whereas the similarly funk-popping Jamie Lidell is likely to find cracking the supermarket crowd tough going with his new Jim collection, seeing he’s had chances to impress the mainstream in the past and never truly capitalised on these opportunities, Sparro (born Sam Falson) has no previous, no skeletons to drag from the closet for context here. Well…

Except for ‘Cottonmouth’, that is; track seven of a concise, if deliberately divergent, thirteen has been available to see and hear on the man’s MySpace for some time, and has been critiqued in another high-profile summary of its parent LP as one of the worst songs of the past 60 years. Harsh, and not entirely fair, but there’s reason for the extreme reaction: the song is comparatively dross when assessed alongside some of the more sparkling examples of unashamedly funk-infused soulful pop found on Sam Sparro. Indeed, given some of the exhibitionist flair for colourful songwriting on display here, it’s a pity our protagonist couldn’t have arrived at a slightly more imaginative album title.

‘Sally’ has an air of Beverly Hills Cop about it, a slow bassline boosted by glistening synth lines straight out of an ‘80s action caper; it’s also one of many arrangements here suggesting a fondness for Prince’s fusion of R ‘n’ B with elements of funk and soul (that’s three paragraphs, three instances of the ‘f’ word, in case you weren’t paying attention), a.k.a. the Minneapolis Sound. Sparro may be based in Los Angeles nowadays, but a jet-setting childhood that saw him skip from continent to continent – Australia to the States – has given him a license to muddle stylistic gene pools, and the results are largely pleasing. Other highlights of this album include the penultimate ‘Clingwrap’, which serves as a neat echo of Outkast’s The Love Below’s higher-pitched hip-hop-pop playfulness; ‘Sick’ is an effortlessly smooth groove wrapped around a considerably proportioned lyrical hook, playing on the song’s title, that’s tailor made for deployment as a ‘Black & Gold’ successor; and said single sits pretty at track two here to good effect, arriving early enough to ensnare the fair-weather fan but nestling cohesion-perfect between its parenthesis partners, ‘Too Many Questions’ and ‘21st Century Life’.

On the downside, Sparro – as good as he evidently is as an arranger for the modern pop market (props, too, for song-penning collaborators Paul Epworth and Anthony ‘Eg’ White) – lacks lyrical consistency: for every neat tongue twist guaranteed to have you mouthing the words back in the shower the next day, there’s some truly atrocious couplet that’s best forgotten before it’s heard. No doubt this side of Sparro’s music will develop, as his experiences navigating the industry after this breakthrough provide him with source material for albums two and three, but at present he’s no wordsmith worth commending above or equal to any aforementioned compositional reference points. That aside, though, if it’s some healthy funk you’re wanting in your pop bumps, listen no further than this summery assortment of candy-coloured crowd pleasers.

Leona Lewis Regains No. 1 On Hot 100

With help from "American Idol," Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" is back in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Moving 2-1, the track replaces Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major, which flip-flops with "Bleeding Love" after only one week on top. Lewis performed the song, this week's biggest digital sales gainer, last week during the elimination round on "Idol."

Meanwhile, "Lollipop" does find it's way to the top of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as it moves 3-1, becoming the chart's first rap single to reach No. 1 since Ludacris' "Money Maker" climbed to the top in October 2006.

Back on the big chart, Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown holds at No. 3 while Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake rebounds 6-4, aided by this week's release of the album on which it appears, "Hard Candy." Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy falls 4-5 as "Sexy Can I" by Ray J & Yung Berg experiences an up-tick 7-6.

Mariah Carey, this week's Billboard 200 topper, sees her "Touch My Body" descend 5-7 while Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" keeps the No. 8 spot warm. Chris Brown's "Forever" is this week's Hot Shot Debut, bowing at No. 9. That achievement equals Yael Naim's "New Soul" for highest debut of 2008. Yet another Brown track, "With You," rounds out the top tier on the Hot 100, moving 9-10.

Jesse McCartney instantly gets his best Hot 100 peak by entering at No. 14 with "Leavin'." The single is culled from his forthcoming album "Departure," due May 20 via Hollywood. His previous peak came with the No. 16 high-water mark for "Beautiful Soul" in 2005.

Further down the chart, Lil Wayne's "A Milli" begins at No. 60 and Weezer earns its first song on the Hot 100 in two years with "Pork and Beans" at No. 84. Other debuts include Duffy's "Mercy" at No. 87, V.I.C.'s "Get Silly" at No. 92, G Unit's "I Like the Way She Do It" at No. 95, Ashlee Simpson's "Little Miss Obsessive" featuring Tom Higgenson at No. 96 and The-Dream's "I Luv Your Girl" at No. 97.

On Hot Country Songs, George Strait stays put at No. 1 for a second week with "I Saw God Today." Seether follows suit with "Rise Above This," holding tight on top also for a second week. 3 Doors Down is No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock tally for a third week with "It's Not My Time."

http://www.billboard.com