Rihanna remains with Roc Nation

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Last week, shocking rumors came from Rihanna's camp. There were reports of her leaving Roc Nation. While she is signed to a long-term deal with Def Jam, Rihanna is signed to Roc Nation for management. When Jay-Z created Roc Nation, he signed management deals with many of the top artists on Def Jam.

Jay-Z has been all over the news with both Watch the Throne and his baby news. After years of rumors, Beyonce is finally pregnant with Jay-Z's child. A year ago, around this time, there were rumors over the couple breaking up. The rumors stemmed from Jay-Z wanting a baby, while Beyonce did not.

Years ago, there were rumors of Jay-Z having an affair with Rihanna, which continued even after she began dating Chris Brown. These rumors heightened when Rihanna was rumored to have left Roc Nation after Jay-Z and Beyonce announce their first child together. Recently, Rihanna came out to deny the reports of her leaving Roc Nation.

Rihanna has had Jay-Z by her side throughout her career and will continue to.

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Beyonce nixes cookbook Rumors

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Back on top of the music industry, Beyonce is all over the place with her hits. When her music is current and hot, the new rumors are created about her. It is when she is out of the public eye when things get blown out of proportion.

Regardless of what she has going on, Beyonce is going to be involved in a rumor. The recent rumors state Beyonce will be putting together a cookbook. While she has never discussed her culinary abilities, many were anxious.

Those who were looking forward to the Beyonce cookbook will be a little disappointed. Her team revealed Beyonce will not be working on a cookbook. Beyonce's team said the only thing she has going on is her new music.

In an interview with Today.com, Beyonce's team said there is nothing going on with Beyonce and a cookbook, ending the rumors.

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Jay-Z reflects on Amy Winehouse's music

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Jay-Z helped introduce Amy Winehouse to the American musical scene. In 2006, Winehouse released her hit single, "Rehab." The song, however, would not become a hit until 2007. During this period of time, Jay-Z signed Amy Winehouse to Def Jam, while he was serving as the head of the label.

When she officially signed to the label, her project was promoted during the summer of 2007. Once "Rehab" became an American hit, Jay-Z recorded on the remix of the song. Her debut album, Back to Black, was a tremendous success. However, the "Rehab" song would prove to tell the story of her life.

Three days ago, Amy Winehouse died, but it has not been proven exactly what happened. Many are assuming it had something to do with her drug abuse. Taking time away from the drugs, Jay-Z spoke on her recordings. Amy Winehouse was a talented artist and Jay-Z believed she could truly become one of the best artists of all-time.

Jay-Z recently reflected on his favorite Amy Winehouse song. When speaking on his favorite song from her, the Brooklyn rapper said his favorite Winehouse song was "Tears Dry on Their Own."

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Amy Winehouse found dead in London flat

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Four years ago, the world was introduced to Amy Winehouse. In her 2007 song, "Rehab," she made light out of her addictions, which eventually claimed her life. Winehouse was one of the biggest artists signed to Def Jam during Jay-Z's tenure as president and CEO of the label.

During the summer of 2007, Jay-Z introduced her to the black audience, when he provided a rap verse on the remix of "Rehab." Two years ago, Eminem also parodied Amy Winehouse in his single, "We Made You." The song made fun of many celebrities, and Eminem said Amy made rehab look so good.

It was no secret Amy Winehouse was a frequent drug user. She had been in and out of rehab throughout her career. Recently, she appeared to be handling her addicition better. Winehouse is fresh off releasing her latest album, Back to Black. Winehouse died today in London at 4:00 pm, she was last seen alive with her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, at the iTunes festival.

While Amy Winehouse did not perform, she begged the crowd to buy Dionne's album. Last month, the troubled singer bombed a performance in London, in which the crowd became enraged. Her team said they were going to give her as much time off as she needed. Now, her time off is permanent.

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Rihanna and Jay-Z perform "Run this Town" live [VIDEO]

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Beyonce opens up about Jay-Z

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

With her album, 4, being released, Beyonce is back in the public eye. During her three-year break, Beyonce found the female R&B game dominated by many new singers. Still, there was plenty of room for Beyonce to find her way back into the game.

Over the past three years, Beyonce has been in the news because of her relationship with Jay-Z. The two confirmed their relationship towards the end of 2002. During the spring of 2008, the couple got married.

Despite their marriage being well-known, Jay-Z and Beyonce remain a very private couple. Because of this, there are often many rumors about them. The rumors range from Beyonce cheating to expecting.

Recently, Beyonce opened up about how much Jay-Z annoys her. When the couple has time together, Jay-Z is often rapping. The movement of his lips and the mumbling gets to Beyonce, from time to time. She said when he does this, she can almost see the lyrics coming out in thought bubbles. With Jay-Z back in the studio, working on Watch the Throne, he is getting his rhymes together to finish recording.

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Jay-Z and Will Smith on the set of "Men in Black III"

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Ray J speaks on Kim Kardashian cheating Rumors

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

The history between Ray J and Kim Kardashian goes without saying. Had it not been for Ray J, Kim Kardashian would not be nearly as known as she is now. After their sextape leaked, Ray J and Kim Kardashian broke up and she moved on to NFL star, Reggie Bush. As bad as the media wanted to create beef between Ray J and Reggie Bush, they could not.

Due to their hectic schedules, Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush eventually broke up. There were rumors of Kardashian moving on with hip hop superstar, Kanye West. While West and Kardashian did or did not hook up, Reggie Bush was rumored to have moved on with West's on/off lover, Amber Rose.

After Kanye West grew upset with the Kim Kardashian rumors, the media left them alone. Soon, Kim Kardashian revealed she had moved on with NBA player, Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets. Last week, it was announced that the couple had gotten engaged. Right after their announcement, NFL player, Bret Lockett said he had a fling with Kim Kardashian while she was still with Humphries.

While the two still plan to wed, there are cheating rumors about Kim Kardashian. Of course, everyone wants to know Ray J's opinion on the situation. Not known as a faithful man, himself, Ray J wished Kim well a long time ago. In response to the Kim Kardashian cheating rumors, Ray J quoted Jay-Z. He said "men lie, women cheat, numbers don't."

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T-Pain explains ditching Auto-tune

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

In 2005, T-Pain ushered in a new era in hip hop. At the time, hip hop needed something new. Jay-Z was retired and no rapper had truly stepped up. There were several new artists, but none really stood out among the rest.

But, late in the summer of 2005, T-Pain debuted his single, "I'm Sprung." The song quickly became a hit, thanks to his use of the auto-tune. It was not long before T-Pain was using the auto-tune on his hooks with other artists.

By 2007, T-Pain had risen the ranks and was recording with R. Kelly. On their collaborations, Kelly also used the auto-tune. On the mixtape level, Lil Wayne had taken over the rap game. In 2008, he released his comeback album, Tha Carter III, which featured Wayne's first chart-topper, "Lollipop," which only used the auto-tune.

Soon, everyone from Kanye West to Young Jeezy was using auto-tune. The machine had invaded every rap song on the radio. Throughout 2008, there were rumors of Jay-Z coming out with a new album, which he would name The Blueprint 3. When the album did not come, fans assumed the album was nothing more than a rumor. However, when the album came, it was led by Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)" single. The song was released as T-Pain prepared to release his new album.

Out of frustration, T-Pain dissed Jay-Z, but soon apologized. With his popularity drained, T-Pain decided to take time off. T-Pain came out of his hiatus for the DJ Khaled single, "All I Do is Win." However, T-Pain did not begin his more formal comeback until he performed the hook on DJ Khaled's 2011 single, "Welcome to my Hood." Now, T-Pain is preparing to release his fourth studio album and he announced the album would not feature auto-tune.

Now a six-year veteran in the game, T-Pain wants to do something different. Him ditching the auto-tune is not out of fear of a 2008 repeat. Instead, T-Pain is hoping to prove he can sing without the help of the machine and he is trying to evolve his sound. Each day, T-Pain is in the studio trying to make this happen.

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Jay-Z to produce Adult Swim animated sitcom

By TV Insider
JR Staff Writer

After taking over the music industry, Jay-Z promised he would venture into television and films. From the beginning, Jay-Z said he was not a rapper. Rapping was the vehicle he used to penetrate the entertainment industry. Currently, Jay-Z is the head of Roc Nation, one of the biggest entertainment companies.

While profiting off Rihanna, Willow Smith, J. Cole, and other big name artists, Jay-Z is working on his next plot. Jay-Z and Will Smith have already collaborated for a new film company. Their first production will be a remake of Annie, starring Willow Smith. The future seems bright for the Carter/Smith partnership.

Jay-Z has had several partners over the years, but he has gone solo for his latest venture. The Roc Nation CEO is adding television producer to his list of occupations. Recently, news was released about Jay-Z putting together an animated sitcom for Adult Swim. His show will have a focus on hip hop and will not be the first of its type to land on Adult Swim.

For the most part, Jay-Z is known more for his business acumen, as opposed to his sense of humor. This is likely why he has made himself a part of such a deal.

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R. Kelly's ex-wife launches Pole Dancing Classes

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Early in his career, R. Kelly was known for his sexually-explicit lyrics, quickly becoming a graphic R&B singer. Most listeners who have followed him since the beginning call him a freaky singer. But, Kelly made bigger noise when he was accused of having sex with underage girls in 2001.

Once news broke and R. Kelly was facing charges, he immediately changed his style. R. Kelly began focusing more on working with rappers, namely Ja Rule and Jay-Z. During the darkest period of his career, they continued to work with him. R. Kelly eventually had a falling out with Jay-Z, but remains close with Ja Rule.

Now, R. Kelly is still one of the more popular R&B artists in the game. Known for his hip hop collaborations and sexually-explicit lyrics, a bit of this may have rubbed off on his ex-wife. Andrea Kelly has been in the news, recently, because she has launched pole dancing classes. However, her intention is not to be erotic.

Instead, the former Mrs. Kelly is trying to get women more active. Many people are trying to get in shape and they need motivation. Pole dancing is a new alternative to regular exercie many women are using in order to lose weight. Her first class was on May 13, 2011 and it was a major success. Andrea Kelly is building a name outside of her ex-husband with this new venture and it is going well for her.

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Beyonce presented with Billboard Milliennium Award

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Simply due to her status, Beyonce is in the news on a daily basis, regarding her personal life. When she first entered the music industry, Beyonce dreamed of having a major career. Now an eight year solo veteran, she has been hailed as the modern-day version of Tina Turner.

Only three albums deep, Beyonce is considered by many as the top female in pop and R&B. Often, she runs neck-in-neck with her husband, Jay-Z's protege`, Rihanna. However, Rihanna has released many more albums than Beyonce. With her busy schedule, Beyonce hardly has time to put albums out.

But, following a three year gap between album releases, Beyonce intends to release her fourth studio album. Her single, "Run the World," has already become a hit. Aside from her new music, the native of Houston is still winning awards. Recently, she was honored by Billboard and will soon be presented with the Billboard Milliennium Award at the Billboard Music Awards.

The show will be broadcast on ABC at 8:00 pm tonight. Beyonce has won over sixteen Grammy awards, both as a solo artist and as a vocalist with Destiny's Child.

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Birdman and the Cash Money empire

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

What began as a dream some twenty years ago has become a major reality. Bryan "Birdman" Williams and his brother, Ronald "Slim" Williams, have been running Cash Money Records for some time. Through their success with music, they have been able to branch out into other businesses.

Often times, there is plenty of talk surrounding Jay-Z and Diddy as hip hop's top businessmen. Much of their fortune comes from endorsement deals. While the New Yorkers do own several businesses, their primary pay comes from their work with other companies.

Birdman recently entered the $100 million discussion without having any endorsement deals. Early in the 2000s, he did, but they have run out. Through his company and the lucrative distribution deal with Universal Records, Birdman has built an incredible empire. Cash Money Records helped launch this business and it is currently on top of the music scene with several sub-labels.

Recently, Birdman launched Cash Money content and released a book for Wahida Clark called Justify My Thug. This deal is the first of its kind for a hip hop company and will likely be emulated by several other hip hop entrepreneurs in the future.

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Jay-Z and Beyonce attend Nephew's graduation

Jay-Z and Beyonce at the graduation of Jay-Z's nephew at University in Salem. West Virginia.

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Beyonce facing $100 million Lawsuit

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

According to news reports, Beyonce agreed to star in a dance video game. But, as far as the media and fans know, she has not been a part of any video game, to date. Gate Five, a video game production company, said Beyonce agreed to star in a dance video game for their company.

The video game was to be a motion-sensing dance video game called Staypower: Beyonce. Gate Five was preparing to begin promotion for the video game, once Beyonce began putting in work for the game. But, at the last minute, the pop singer backed out for no specific reason.

Gate Five has filed a lawsuit against Beyonce for a bad faith breach of contract. According to the company, on a whim, Beyonce destroyed their entire company. Because she backed out, without warning, Beyonce caused 70 Gate Five employees to lose their employment the week of Christmas. In the lawsuit, Beyonce is referred to as Mrs. Carter, referencing her as the wife of Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.

Gate Five is suing Beyonce for $100 million.

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Jay-Z and Beyonce may perform at The Royal Wedding

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

For well over a decade, Jay-Z and Beyonce have been the "it" couple in hip hop. But, as Jay-Z has solidified himself as a businessman, well outside of rap, and as Beyonce has expanded her career, they are now considered a power couple. No longer do all of their friends revolve around hip hop, Jay-Z and Beyonce regularly hang out with superstars, such as Gwyneth Paltrow.

Ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their wedding, Jay-Z and Beyonce have been rumored to be a part of the guest list. Both Prince William and Kate are big fans of Jay-Z and his wife, Beyonce. Due to the royal status of Prince William and the popularity of Jay-Z, it does not seem like a stretch for them to perform.

Recently, contradicting stories have been released. For most of yesterday, stories said Jay-Z and Beyonce would perform. But, following the afternoon peroid, new rumors said Jay-Z and Beyonce would not be attending the royal event that has America talking. However, current stories again have Jay-Z and Beyonce performing at the wedding of the prince and the soon-to-be princess.

According to the latest rumors, Jay-Z and Beyonce are indeed on the guest list and they will be performing at the biggest event of 2011, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

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Rihanna makes Billboard history

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Once again, Rihanna makes history. This time around, the starlet of Def Jam is making history for her string of hits. Not too many artists have enjoyed runs the way Rihanna has. She has been more successful than Beyonce and other major stars in her six year run.

In 2006, Rihanna proved she was not a one hit wonder when she released "S.O.S." The song became her first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Five years later, Rihanna is still topping the charts. Currently, Rihanna is out promoting her fifth studio album, Loud.

Loud is home to a couple of chart-topping Rihanna singles, including her latest, "S&M." The "S&M" single is Rihanna's tenth number one single. "S&M" has helped Rihanna become a part of history. Joining the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna now shares a record with The Beatles. Jay-Z's record is for most number one albums, Rihanna's is for most number one singles in such a short span.

Her record of ten number one singles in five years is tied with The Beatles for the most in history.

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R. Kelly plans "Love Letter" tour with Keyshia Cole

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

R. Kelly went years being the undisputed king of R&B. But, during the mid-1990s, Usher and other talents emerged. For years, R. Kelly dominated the sex songs, but a sex charge slowed him down. Kelly had to reinvent his style. R. Kelly emerged in the 2000s as the leading hook man for several rappers.

For years, R. Kelly made hits with Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, and many other rappers. Some rappers recorded with R. Kelly and landed their first hits. Nas' comeback was aided by his verse on "Did You Ever Think (remix)." But, following his 2004 confrontation with Jay-Z, rappers began working with other crooners.

After taking some time off, R. Kelly found himself nearly replaced by songwriter, Ne-Yo. Following a short comeback, the R&B game was soon dominated by Mario and Trey Songz. In 2009, Trey replaced R. Kelly as the sex singer and became the top male figure in R&B. With 2010 hits from Usher, Trey Songz, and Ne-Yo, many wrote R. Kelly out of the equation.

R. Kelly placed himself back in with his "Love Letter" single and his Love Letter album. Once again, a popular name in the game, R. Kelly is planning the Love Letter tour. He will be touring with Keyshia Cole and Marsha Ambrosius, of Floetry.

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50 Cent adds DJ Pauly D to G-Unit roster

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

For years, 50 Cent tried to brand his entire company as the toughest of the tough. But, after making enemies out of 90% of the hip hop community and fans, 50 Cent has sharpened his business skills. The head of G-Unit Enterprises has been working hard to alter his image from a gangster to a businessman.

50 Cent has expanded his company to include the successful film company, Cheetah Vision Films. The new company has already produced over five films. Lionsgate Entertainment, the distributor for both Tyler Perry and Ice Cube, recently inked a $200 million deal with his company for three new projects.

Dominating the film industry, 50 Cent is not quite done with the music scene. 50 Cent has been said to be recording a new album and he expanded G-Unit Records to include G-Note Records. The sub-label already has a signed artist, Governor, a former act of Grand Hustle, T.I.'s label. 50 Cent is expanding all of his businesses in order to catch back up with Jay-Z and Diddy.

In an effort to make G-Unit Records more appealing to the mainstream, he has signed DJ Pauly D, one of the "Jersey Shore" stars, to his label. The rumor has been circulating for weeks and was recently confirmed by in-house G-Unit DJ, Whoo Kid. DJ Whoo Kid said 50 Cent is trying to make music for everyone in the future, so he is adding all types of artists to G-Unit Records.

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L.A. Reid may launch New Record Label

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Long before he joined Def Jam, L.A. Reid had been a force in the record industry. Had it not been for Reid, many of the legendary hits people enjoy may have never been released. This was one of the reasons Def Jam decided to hire him. With the help of Jay-Z, Reid helped introduce Rihanna and Ne-Yo, among others.

But, when his contract with Def Jam expired, L.A. Reid decided not to renew. Following seven years with Def Jam, Reid opted to sign a deal with Simon Cowell. Reid is now one of the judges for his new series, "The X Factor." While his new gig pays more than Def Jam, it does not mean he is done with music.

During the late 1980s, L.A. Reid helped launch LaFace Records with singer Babyface. The label soon became home to such acts as Usher and TLC. Partnered with Arista Records, LaFace Records released several hits, solidifying L.A. Reid as a force in the music industry. Reid remained with LaFace for fifteen years before he decided to move on to Def Jam.

Now, after seven years at Island Def Jam, L.A. Reid is strongly considering creating a new record label. The label will follow the format of LaFace and what he turned Def Jam into, R&B. Reid reminded the people of who he is and how quickly he can make things happen. L.A. Reid said he is no idiot when it comes to doing business. He has been trying to be in control of his own career, once again, and a new label to go along with his "X Factor" deal may be what he is looking for.

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