Gotta give it to the Lakers' Ron Artest, he knows how to make himself relevant...we guess...smh at the new hair style...but it is different and WILL get attention...

Is it just us, but Usher just isn't what he used to be...here's hoping that he can get it back...

Love Fantasia, but here she is in yet another barefoot shot...um, she needs etiquette class in some instances...but when you can sing like her, we guess that it doesn't really matter...Here she is performing at the Jackie Robinson Center Event...

R.I.P. B.I.G...It's been over a decade since the death of the legendary, well revered Brooklyn MC...so, here is remembering B.I.G.

We previously reported that Mariah Carey was trying to get pregnant by husband Nick Cannon, and now it seems that their wish has come true. Or at least that's how the rumors have it after Mariah was said to be bursting to let on about something. Apparently she was heard to say that she has something "special to announce" and was hinting at a pregnancy... Congratulations if this one's true.

T.I. is to be a free man once more later this month after news broke that he is to complete his sentence on March 26th. He was released from jail in December after serving seven months of his one year and one day sentence and sent to Dismas Charities Atlanta West halfway house. But now it seems that T.I. is heading home, with Lawyer Steve Sadow saying, "T.I. is now serving the remainder of his sentence in home confinement under the supervision of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons."

Producer Solar, has denied allegations that he stopped Guru's family from visiting the stricken rapper in hospital. As previously reported Justin Nicholas-Elam Ruff, who claims to be Guru’s nephew, said that he and other family members were prevented from seeing the rapper, "My family has no way of knowing what is going on with Guru’s situation, Solar has complete control over the flow of information given from the hospital, and will not disclose any information with us. The doctors and staff won’t discuss any information with Guru’s family." However Solar denies the claims, saying, "I have nothing but the deepest love and respect for The Elam family. But I have not stopped anybody from seeing him." Solar continued, "Guru's brother, sister and niece has visited with him and his brother was here for three days. I am in touch with them on a daily basis." Solar also explained that Guru has requested privacy with this health matters, a demand that may include family members, "Guru's family dynamic and who he wants to look out for his interests is Guru's business and best left to Guru to discuss. I will state that Guru wanted this matter to be kept private to protect his loved ones and fans from this ordeal and from it becoming a circus, which it is becoming. Guru has made clear he does not want anything to do with certain people from his past, and for them too be making false statements about his health is unacceptable." However, fellow Gangstarr member DJ Premier threw a little doubt into the mix by seemngly siding with Guru's nephew as he said, "Shout out to Justin Ruff, a true soldier and a warrior that took on his own initiative to truly let motherfuckers know evil lurks in Guru’s life still, and that s**t will cease eventually. ‘Cause God don’t like ugly like they say, and love always conquers the devil." Premier added, "It’s not about me it’s him, and the Gangstarr legacy. Without him there’s no me, and without me there’s no him. Again, Guru we love you my G, stay strong my dude."  We tend to side with Premier - Guru should have always stayed with Premier - they made great music together...

R&B singer D'Angelo was arrested in New York after offering an undercover cop cash for oral sex. D’Angelo was riding around Greenwich Village in his Range Rover when he offered the cop $40 for the sexual favor after mistaking her for a prostitute. Police found $12,000 in his SUV and charged him with solicitation. We're just glad the cop was undercover, otherwise uniform standards must be slipping considerably...  The biggest question is where in the heck did he get 12 g's from?

Eight teens were shot and injured at a concert headlined by Waka Flocka Flame in Gary, Indiana after a fight broke out. Sources suggest that a hype man for Waka Flocka might be to blame for the incident after he took to the stage at World of Skates and reportedly pitted the eastside of the city versus the westside. That's when police say fighting ensued and patrons were told to leave as shots rang out. Of those injured Shaquille Hughes, 15, was shot in the right side; Marcus Ratliff, 14, was shot in the right wrist; Justin Bodley, 16, was shot in the leg; Junan Washington, 18, was shot in left ankle; DaVonte Biddings, 16, was shot once in the back; Marquel Croock, 16, was shot in the stomach; Kesean Philon, 14, was shot in the left leg; and Stephan Danzy, 17, was shot in the left leg. One of the teens says the shooter was a Black man with dreadlocks holding a rifle and wearing a red hat. Activities for people under the age of 21 in the Gary have been cancelled until further notice.  This guy seems like bad news.  Period.

People can say what they want about the dude, but he is the most successful rapper because he was able to get a legitamized cross over appeal - not sell out, but just was able to hustle the game in another way...and THAT'S how you do it...everything else is for the birds...here is he and Bey kickin' it with President Obama...

Missing rapper J-Kwon has turned up alive and well after going missing for more than a month. While his label were among those who couldn't track the 'Tipsy' MC down, he finally resurfaced, with manager Dorian Washington saying, "I am very happy to let everyone know that I personally spoke with J-Kwon today, and he is OK. He'd like to send a sincere apology to his friends and everyone who showed concern this week. He was taking some time to himself as he sometimes does, not realizing that people would start to worry after a while. A few days out of touch versus a month is quite a difference. Right now, he just wants to keep doing what he's doing and will be more available for those who care about him. We thank you again for your outreach, and we are relieved to know he'll be all right."  We know how he feels...sometimes the  world makes you just want to take a deep hiatus...

They say that when it rains it pours and Allen Iverson may feel that way too after having two bits of bad news in the same day. Firstly the 76ers announced that he won't be part of their team next season and then his wife Tawanna Iverson filed for divorce, saying their 8½-year marriage is "irretrievably broken." Along with alimony she also filed for full custody of their five children, including Messiah their 4-year-old daughter who is currently suffering from an undisclosed illness.

Confirmation has come through that Keyshia Cole gave birth to a baby boy. Keyshia and Cleveland Cavalier, Daniel Gibson, "are proud to announce the birth of their beautiful baby boy, Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr." The couple’s son was born Tuesday at 11:54 p.m., weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz. A source said, "Both mother and baby are doing great," adding, "The proud couple would like to thank everyone for giving them privacy during this special time. Keyshia would also like to give a special thank you to her fans that have been with her since the beginning sharing in her growth as a woman and an artist."

Good news for UK based Snoop Dogg fans as they may get a chance to once again see the Doggfather after a three-year ban on his entry to the country was lifted. The West Coast rapper incurred the wrath of UK immigration officials in 2006 when he was arrested following a fracas at London's Heathrow Airport. Then, in 2007, he was denied entry into the country as authorities argued that his previous convictions for drugs and firearms offenses made him a threat. Ultimately the ban was lifted in 2008, but government officials took the case to the Court of Appeal, where it was decided the judge who reversed the ruling may have "misinterpreted the test of exclusion." However, never one for quitting, Snoop took the case to a U.K. Asylum and Immigration Tribunal on February 26 where his lawyers urged officials to take into consideration his work as a high-school football coach and appearances on family-friendly TV shows including "The View" and his "Father Hood" reality series. The move worked as two senior immigration judges decided border authorities were wrong to deny the star entry.

Rapper Plies is being sued over a 2006 shooting at a nightclub in Gainesville, Florida. The Tampa rapper and his record label are both named in the suit as filed in Alachua County Circuit Court. The legal action claims Plies and his label have profited from the victims' suffering, after glorifying the incident. Plies' entourage allegedly fired shots in the club after a scuffle with another rapper. Plies was arrested after weapons were allegedly found in his car while his brother served three years in prison after pleading no contest to weapons charges. Two other members of Plies' entourage, who were not named in the civil suit, also served prison time on charges related to the Gainesville club shooting. Although the victims didn't suffer life-threatening injuries they say that Plies makes references to the shooting in his lyrics and has generally used it to promote his street cred.

Lil Wayne was given a new sentencing date of March 8th for a 2007 gun charge. The previous date was cancelled due to a fire at the courthouse which gave Wayne time to go out and catch a Jay-Z show at Madison Square Garden where he also took to the stage...Lil' Wayne should just make them throw him in jail at this point...so he can get it over with...smh

Guru’s nephew, Justin Nicholas-Elam Ruff, has made an impassioned plea on behalf of his family, claiming that the rapper's producer/partner Solar has gained power of attorney for his uncle and is denying his family any access to him. He says that Guru actually fell ill in early February, and since then they have been shut out by Solar who is said to be controlling the flow of information from the hospital staff to Guru's family and the public at large. Justin revealed, "Solar has totally cut us off, the doctors and the staff at the hospital will not discuss any information with Guru’s family. In order for the family to change the situation we have to hire a lawyer... unfortunately we don’t have a couple of weeks, my uncle Guru is in a serious state of health right now. I feel as though it is the family's right to know his status. I know that Solar has been his right hand man, day in and day out, for the last 6 years, but that does not give him the right to make decisions on whether of not his own family gets to see Guru or learn about his status. The fact that he’s acting like this lets me know he does not have Guru’s best interest in mind. It is a control thing with Solar." Justin continued, "On Tuesday March 2nd 2010, I send Solar a text message [checking to see if I could get an update on Guru’s status]," adding, "Solar sent me a response that said: 'Trish [Guru’s sister] started this!!! And Guru would never have told her he was in the hospital, this is horrible what she did!! Now I need to care for Guru. Peace.'" Justin has not heard back from Solar since but revealed that Guru was actually admitted to hospital on February 2nd although his family were not told until the 16th. In the meantime Solar has issued a statement saying that, "Guru is resting and doing well. The doctors say that he will fully recover from his illness. We thank everyone who send prayers our way and we appreciate the outpouring of love from around the world!" Solar also sent out a message from Guru himself, saying, "I am doing fine and I am recovering! I’m weak though. Solar is the only person who has the accurate info on my situation. Any info from anybody else is false! I appreciate your well wishes and all the love!"  Don't know what kind of hold that Solar has over Guru - but it can't be good - have heard nothing but bad things about that situation.

A school-based fundraiser fro an Arizona church that wasto feature has been cancelled just three days before it was due to happen. The 'Gospel Rap Extravaganza' was set to feature a performance from formerly incarcerated rapper DMX but the school pulled the plug on the event once word got out that X was involved. Pastor King of the Morning Star Sanctified Church says she even took out a $1 million insurance policy on the concert - but the school just wasn't playing ball and agreed to give back the church's $500 deposit. The church will now have to give refunds to the people who already bought tickets, but Pastor King says they're going to reschedule the event to go down at the church itself - despite it being a much smaller venue.

Rapper J-Kwon, who had a hit with his track 'Tipsy,' has gone missing according to friends, family and his label, Gracie productions. Sources say that despite having an album coming up soon, the rapper has not been heard from in about a month and a twitter page has been set up to try and find him. Gracie Productions CEO/President Tony Bucher explained, "J-Kwon is a big part of the Gracie family, and we are obviously increasingly worried and want to make sure he is ok," adding, "We've already received thousands of emails from fans and supporters who are worried about J-Kwon, and we want everyone to know how much we appreciate the love and support. If anyone has seen J-Kwon or has access to him, please let him know we are worried about him, and to please let us know everything is ok."

Subpoenas were issued by the state's Inspector General's Office, which is working with the US Attorney's office as part of a federal investigation into the Aqueduct Racetrack. Jay-Z and Russell Simmons are expected to be among the first twelve served in the month long investigation into foul play in the racetrack deal. Gov. Paterson is accused of awarding the contract to AEG in order to gain political support from the company's investors. The Reverend Floyd Flake is also expected to be called upon as both he and Jay-Z are expected to explain how the multi-billion dollar deal actually transpired; although many are claiming Jay-Z and Flake's group Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) were awarded the contract due to their relationship with Gov. Paterson. Russell Simmons, who acted as an advisor for rival bidder Penn Gaming, felt the deal wasn't "what was best for the people." Russell and other losing bidders claim that AEG offered the least money and financial details; they also claim AEG provided unrealistic financial projections according to competitor Delaware North. AEG's bid was approximately $200 million for the license, while other companies such as Delaware North offered upwards of $300 million as well as other incentives. Flake spoke out against the allegation of foul play, stating, "People should focus on the community development, rather than the personalities of people involved. If the media frenzy drives the development process, then all of the good that could be borne out of this possibility will be precipitously lost. From my 30-plus years as a developer in this community, I can tell you that media innuendo does not build projects; strong leaders and solid, well-financed ideas build projects. Aqueduct has the potential to use racing as a Trojan horse -if you will- to deliver on a long-elusive and sustainable goal of a new private sector driver of the local economy. To a great extent this reality is part of the rationale for my involvement."

Sources are saying that Wyclef Jean was told to fire his manager, Lisa Ellis, by his wife, Marie Claudinette. The situation allegedly arose when Claudinette found a nude picture of Ellis on Wyclef's cell-phone. An insider revealed, "Claudinette flew into a jealous rage, she jumped to the conclusion that something may be up between Wyclef and Lisa. She told Lisa to stay away from her husband. To embarrass Lisa, she also e-mailed the nude picture to a number of people in the music business." However Ellis refuted the story and explained, "Photographer Mark Baptiste took a portrait of me in December 2008 for an art book. It was tastefully done. Someone leaked the photo. I don't know who did it, but the photo had nothing to do with my resignation as Wyclef Jean's manager." Whatever the circumstances Wyclef and his manager parted ways about three weeks ago with a friend asserting, "She resigned because she just was not happy with the way Wyclef was conducting himself. He wasn't listening to her advice." As for the picture it is a black-and-white nude photo which shows Ellis standing facing forward with her hands crossed over her nether regions. A friend described Ellis, who has a boyfriend, as "mortified," adding, "Lisa has no issue with Claudinette."  A faithful man in the music industry seems virtually impossible...

R&B singer Monica used her twitter account to reveal that Keyshia Cole haD gone into labor, simply typing, "no i didn’t say that. She’s in labor but her son has not yet arrived. He’s well on his way though. SO excited for her." meanwhile, other sources are beginning to break the news that she has given birth - although no more details are available yet...

Lil Wayne's 'vacation' to jail keeps getting put back, but this time it was not of his doing. A small fire struck the New York courthouse where Wayne was scheduled to be sentenced causing the building to be shut down. A representative has confirmed that Lil Wayne's scheduled sentencing has been called off, although there is no news on a new date just yet. However, Young Money president Mack Maine is confident that the label can keep going while Lil Wayne is away, as he exclaimed, "He (Lil' Wayne) has so much music, we have so much music. We have so much talent you know. We're gonna live on and its gonna feel like to the consumers like he never left. We deep and we gone hold on strong. We survivors. We got through Katrina, it's nothing."   If we were Wayne, we'd want to get in and get out...all of this postponing stuff is for the birds...

Trina has spoken out over the photographs that were leaked from her stolen cell-phone, saying, ""[The images are] me on a very upset day — I think I was in Canada, upset crying," she continued, "Just personal stuff. Photos in the studio. I think [one] was me having an allergic reaction, breaking out. I just think it was my personal stuff and for someone to do that is so, so wrong. So now I’m actually having it looked into by the FBI and it’s gonna be a bigger situation than just leaked photos. Hopefully we can deal with the situation and put an end to it." Some pictures showed Trina sporting what appeared to be a rash on her limbs, which she addressed by explaining that those pictures were taken in order to show her doctor. Trina explained that she wasn’t sure what was causing the ailmentbut her doctor, she said, diagnosed her with Urticaria, which essentially is hives and has since gone away. Trina revealed, "I don’t recall being allergic to anything, but obviously, yeah [I am], I was in the studio recording for a couple of days and just started having breakouts. And my doctor said you’re allergic to shellfish or makeup bronzer."

Gangstarr MC Guru was hospitalized after he went into a coma following cardiac arrest last weekend and has since undergone surgery. Sources are reporting that the surgery was a success while musical collaborator, the producer Solar, spoke on his friend's condition saying, "Guru is struggling with a serious health issue...and we appreciate all your love and well wishes. We continue to hold out hope that Guru will make a full recovery from this and ask that his privacy on this matter be respected. Again thank you for all your support through this trying time." Meanwhile another source said, "Guru is alive and recovering from his surgery. Doctors are expecting a full recovery luckily."  Many blessings to the legendary MC.

LOL at this video...can't really make heads or tails of it...but, hey, Nivea got her child's father, AKA Lil' Wayne to make an appearance in the $5 video...oh, and we know dealing with a cat like Lil' Wayne - love is going to always hurt - we're sure this video and song was geared towards both Wayne (who was gracious enough to make an appearance, we guess, and The Dream).  Period.

According to Feed X...

Lil Wayne agreed to appear in the video on just two days’ notice, appearing on set for close to two hours of the nearly 12-hour shoot, less than a week before his scheduled sentencing. It was one of those million plus vids he shot all in one day a while back. Nivea, the mother of Wayne’s three-month-old son, offered Mr. Carter these words of encouragement recently:

“Wayne, I pray for your endurance during this difficult time. Know that your mind, heart, spirit and talent will prove to be stronger than the confinement of those walls.”

A billboard for T.I.'s clothing line AKOO has caused a few feathers to get ruffled in New jersey.  The billboard shows a man with his jeans lowered and unbuckled as a woman grabs at them.  Newark mayor Cory Booker showed his concern, saying, “So often when I am out in the community I see kids wearing their pants too low and others using inappropriate language in public. I will work with my city council to see if we can address it so we don’t see these types of advertisements displayed in our city in the near future.” Responding to the criticism, AKOO (which stands for A King of One’s Self) issued a statement saying, "The AKOO brand has always aimed to inspire individualism and creativity. Our advertising campaign was not created to offend or insult anyone but to simply provoke dialogue and thought regarding male/female sexuality within urban culture,” the company added, "We hope that as more of the campaign is debuted, people will see the multifaceted personality of AKOO.”  OK, but is it really that offensive?

Reports say that Christina Milian and husband, The Dream have welcomed a baby girl into the world. Sources say that there were no complications with the birth and that Christina and baby Violet are doing well. Congratulations!

Anita Baker won't be heading to jail after she managed to sort out royalty payments for her ex-husband Walter Bridgforth. The singer had faces prison time for reneging on a deal to give former husband 50% of her royalties as part of their divorce settlement. Instead she went to court and managed to sort out a revised deal, saying, "I'm so happy. ... I have never been in such a position before, and we don't intend to ever be in such a position ever again. I just wanna go home, and I'm happy to go home. ... As horrific as it could have been, it was lovely to feel supported, though, on the other end."

Following his trip to Mount Kilamanjaro, Lupe Fiasco has re-assessed his life and goals, saying that money is not everything to him. "You get to a certain point in your career and you wonder if you’re being arrogant or you are on the right path," the rapper said, "This showed me I am on the right path with what I talk about. And now I have more to talk about." He continued, "It’s less about me being a celebrity, because I guess I’m not really a celebrity. The most difficult part of the music business is the label. What I want to do and what they want me to do – creatively – is in conflict. It doesn’t keep me up at night. I look at it as a challenge. It’s not meant to be easy. There’s a misunderstanding with my fanbase," he continued, "People [at Warner] feel they know my fans more than I do. They want me to step out of my comfort zone and step into theirs. I don’t have necessarily the celebrity success they want me to have, but it’s more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That’s a success, to me. I don’t want to be Jay-Z and be worth $400 million and perform on every awards show. It’s getting in touch with somebody who needs to improve their self-esteem. As opposed to driving a Bentley and putting some chains on." That's a refreshing change from the money-chasing that is normally associated with rap stars...

Word has it that Puffy and his security were forced to beat a hasty retreat from a club in Charlotte, NC. Apparently Puff was due to perform but his security heard that jadakiss was in the club with some associates who were ready to get physical with the Bad Boy label-head. So, instead Puff and his security made themselves scarce...

R&B singer Ne-Yo and members of his entourage were involved in a scuffle with a bus-boy in Oslo, Norway. Reports reveal that Ne-Yo and his crew were at a club when someone grabbed one of the girls who were with the singer causing her to fall. Although it was unclear who the culprit was a bus boy was punched in the face, with witnesses saying he was hit so hard he was dizzy and began throwing up. It seems that then another member of Ne-Yo's group ran into the club's kitchen and got a knife before threatening people until being calmed down. Ne-Yo and his group were detained by the police as they attempted to leave, but they were released as police found it hard to determine exactly what had happened. Speaking on the incident the club manager said that the bus boy was "simply a random victim, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time." The police are currently investigating the incident and say if they establish that there is a case against Ne-Yo and or his entourage, they will be required to return to Norway.