Kreayshawn talks turning Diddy down

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Almost every woman in front of the camera has had some kind of interaction with Sean "Diddy" Combs. If he has not dated, or had children by one woman, he has made music with another one. The newest woman in front of the camera is Kreayshawn. She is a white female rapper from the West Coast.

With Diddy's renewed focus on Bad Boy Records, he needed something new to attract fans. In 2009, he left Atlantic Records, his label of five years. After his departure from Atlantic Records, Diddy landed a bigger deal with Interscope Records. Aside from his record label, Diddy has been managing Rick Ross for over a year.

Kreayshawn had a chance to become Diddy's next leading lady, but she turned him down. Diddy offered her a lucrative deal with his label and she considered it. But, at the end of the day, Kreayshawn ended up signing to Columbia Records. She said she has a fatherly relationship with Diddy and that she keeps a picture of him and of herself from kindergarten with her at all times.

When she signed with Columbia Records, Kreayshawn said Diddy was highly upset with her and said he was going to sign her to a bigger deal.

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Lupe Fiasco branches out on "Out of my Head" single

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Despite Lasers not being what he wanted out of an album, it has put Lupe Fiasco's career back on the map. When he entered the game, a small bidding war ensued. In the end, Lupe Fiasco chose to sign with Atlantic Records and directly handle his business. It was a great deal, early on, but things soon went sour.

After releasing two albums on the heels of each other, Lupe was forced to wait four years between albums. With nothing to use as traction and with a panned album, Lupe Fiasco exceeded expectations. Even with things being as unorganized as they were, his album debuted at number one of the Billboard Hot 200.

Atlantic Records wanted Lupe Fiasco to branch out on his third studio album. When he refused to change his style, the label decided to delay his album to give him time. After fighting for four years, the fans demanded Atlantic Records release Lasers. When the album came out, the fans supported it and Lupe Fiasco is at the peak of his career.

The first two singles off the album, "The Show Goes On" and "Words I Never Said," ended up being minor hits. Currently, Lupe Fiasco is promoting the third single from Lasers, "Out of my Head." The song features a hook from Trey Songz and the song has a summer vibe to it. For Lupe Fiasco, this is a sharp turn in his style, as he usually is a concious rapper. "Out of my Head" has been receiving heavy radio play and is ready to make a mark on the charts.

By the looks of things, Lupe Fiasco may have his first number one single to go along with his current string of success on his latest release.

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Tiny supports T.I. as he Serves Time

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

There was a period in time when Tiny was actually a bigger star than her husband, T.I. Recently, Tiny talked about how hard it was for T.I. to even get with her. Not only was she a star and he a starving artist, but Tiny is also a bit older than T.I. For months, she played with T.I. before giving him a chance.

When she finally gave T.I. a chance, Tiny fell madly in love with the up-and-coming rapper. Before long, the couple was living together and had a few children. By 2003, T.I. had emerged as the bread-winner of the family. Soon, he would be one of the biggest rappers from the South.

As his career finally began to take off, T.I. was sent to prison. Tiny supported her man from home while he was behind bars. After serving a few months in prison, T.I. was released and he put out another album. It was following his 2004 album when things truly took off for T.I. and he built his reputation outside of rapping.

Two years later, T.I. reached a peak in his career and officially took over the game. T.I. was one of the hottest rappers in the game and was the biggest artist on Atlantic Records. It was when T.I. should have been a his happiest when he was at his lowest point. In the middle of all his success, his best friend, Philant Johnson was killed. Following his friend's death, T.I. loaded up on guns for both protection and an act of vengeance. But, he was caught with the guns and arrested before he had a chance to use them.

In 2008, T.I. hit another peak in his career, with his Paper Trail album being met with critical acclaim and high record sales. For the first time in his career, T.I. had an album release nothing but top five singles. T.I. went to court for his gun charge and was sent to prison. For seven months in 2009, T.I. served his time behind bars and Tiny held him down with her "Tiny & Toya" show. Going to prison meant T.I. had to give up his career for a little while.

Before he could even get out good, T.I. picked up a drug charge and was sent back to prison. Now serving his third stint in prison since getting with Tiny, she knows how to handle things. Despite her husband being away, Tiny has remained the loyal wife. She has gone about running the household on her own, while waiting on T.I. to get back. While his frequent lockups are frustrating, Tiny realizes it comes with the lifestyle both she and T.I. decided to live.

While T.I. is serving his time in prison, Tiny is supporting him all of the way.

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Trey Songz facing $18 million Lawsuit

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

The past two years have been great for Trey Songz, as he has made himself into an A-list celebrity. The Virginia native was an afterthought until the release of 2009's Ready. He solidified his position against heavyweights Ne-Yo and Usher, with 2010, Passion, Pleasure, and Pain.

Trey Songz has created quite a few anthems over the past two years, but his most-notable one was with Nicki Minaj. Had it not been for her energetic verse, "Bottom's Up" may have not become the major hit it was. But, the overall vibe of the song energized clubs all over the world.

Recently, a DC-based production company said Trey Songz did not come up with the song, himself. Instead, they are claiming they created the song. The company said they own the rights to the song and it was only performed by Trey Songz. Currently, the company is suing Trey Songz for $18 million they feel they rightfully deserve.

The lawsuit was filed on February 2 and claims Doc Mob Records hired producer, Tony Scales, to produce the song. Soon, another version was created and performed by Trey Songz. Scales teamed up with producer, Kane Beatz, to produce the song. But, on the album, Kane Beatz is credited as the sole producer of the song. Doc Mob Records claimed they have sent several warnings to Trey Songz and Atlantic Records, but they were all ignored.

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Young Jeezy was almost cast for HBO's "Entourage"

By TV Maverick
JR Staff Writer

HBO has always held a special place in the heart of the black community. While not being a network marketed as a "black network," it often featured many black programs. HBO has changed with the times, too. When hip hop became the focal point of the black community, HBO made the shift.

One program in particular, "Entourage," has become a favorite with viewers. The show works closely with the hip hop community. New York rapper, Saigon, landed a starring role on the series as himself. The rapper was having a hard time trying to release his debut album and the show kept him afloat.

Saigon's role on the show helped him gain his cult following. He partially owes the show for his hype. Saigon is definitely glad he appeared on the show with his album finally coming. While Sai is counting his blessings, the show's producer told a major secret. Saigon's lucrative deal almost did not happen because they were interested in another rapper.

Before proposing to Saigon, HBO first reached out to Young Jeezy. Because he was a relatively new rapper, Jeezy was highly interested. Had he not became a rapper, Young Jeezy would have become an actor in some capacity. He had always loved the cameras, but it was not meant to be. Def Jam heard about Jeezy being cast and they told HBO, Young Jeezy may not be the right guy. Due to his schedule, he might not have been able to be on set each time they needed him.

In a round-about way, Saigon owes a bit of his success to Def Jam. After not landing Young Jeezy, HBO heard a song with Saigon and Jay-Z and cast him to be in "Entourage."

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