Lloyd speaks out against BET over award snub

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

After being released from his contract with Murder Inc., Lloyd began putting his career back together. Continuing his trend of collaborating with Lil Wayne, Lloyd performed on the "Bedrock" single with Young Money. The song received massive airplay and led to rumors of Lloyd signing with the label.

Those rumors proved to be false, as Lloyd said he was still searching for the right label situation. During the summer of 2010, it was revealed that Lloyd signed with Interscope Records. As more information was revealed, Lloyd announced he had actually signed with Polow da Don's Zone 4, Inc. label.

Lloyd went from being the lone hitmaker on a long-dead record label to being on a roster full of talent. Now, Lloyd is signed to the same label as Keri Hilson and other popular artists. Late in the summer of 2010, Lloyd released his hit single, "Lay It Down." The song became a minor hit, but did enough to reintroduce Lloyd to the mainstream.

As 2010 ended and 2011 began, Lloyd released several buzzworthy singles. However, despite his efforts, the New Orleans native was not nominated for a single BET award this year. Because of this, Lloyd has spoken out against BET and the BET Awards. Lloyd performed with a live band during the pre-show of the awards and complained on Twitter later. He was upset, saying no nomination for the kid who got Lil Wayne his first number one R&B hit.

Boasting off his "You" hit, Lloyd also said he was the first person to get Andre 3000 and Nas on a track and he felt he should have taken the stage with Patti LaBelle to perform the "Lay it Down (remix)." Lloyd went on to say the industry is a mess. Keyshia Cole was similarly upset with the BET Awards when she discovered she had not been nominated for any awards.

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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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Keri Hilson discusses the Rap Game

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Recently, Keri Hilson discussed her love for rappers and the rap game. For years, Keri Hilson worked behind the scenes as a songwriter. In late 2006, she decided she wanted to step into the spotlight and planned to release her album in 2007. For unknown reasons, her debut album was delayed.

With the help of Lil Wayne, her single "Turnin' Me On," became a major hit. The popularity of the song helped her land a secure release date for In A Perfect World... Upon its release, the album would become a major success. The album was noted for its hip hop collaborations.

Last year, Keri Hilson returned with her second album and it features the same format. Ever since her 2009 explosion, Hilson has worked with several rappers. When she was asked about her favorite collaboration, Keri Hilson said it was "Turnin' Me On" with Lil Wayne. However, her longtime dream was to record with Nas, which she did on 2008's "Hero."

Along the way, Keri Hilson has also collaborated with T.I., Fabolous, Kanye West, and Rick Ross. Hilson said she loves rap just as much as she loves R&B. While Keri Hilson has love for rappers, she does not see herself dating a rapper anytime soon. The lifestyle most rappers lead is too much for a girl like her. Because of this, she stays away from relationships, outside of the friend zone, with rappers. She has seen how many other R&B ladies, outside of Beyonce have been treated by rappers and made a safe decision.

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Kelis talks divorcing Nas

The happy marriage between Kelis and rapper Nas came to a crashing end last month. It came after a serious divorce battle between the musical couple. Kelis had grown upset with Nas for still living the single life. They reached a truce and the result of their happier time was Knight, their son. The couple agreed, under Kelis' wishes, to keep the pregnancy a secret. But, Nas informed the world she gave birth last July.

Already tired of Nas, this was the last straw for Kelis and she filed for divorce. There was so much on her table and Kelis did not want to be bothered with Nas and his mess. During their divorce, Kelis tried to take Nas for a ride. She demanded $800,000 from him in spousal and child support. The court ruled against this, but Nas did pay her. Even with the money, Kelis refused to allow Nas to see his son.

The divorce went final earlier this year and both parties were glad to be away from each other. Recently, Kelis began putting her career back together and she signed with will.I.am's label. Early next month, on July 6, Kelis will release her next album, Flesh Tone. Kelis denied her divorce from Nas being bitter, but said the two were only friendly towards each other sometimes. During the divorce, Kelis and Nas tried to get back together for the sake of their son, but things did not work out. Officially over Nas, Kelis is dating someone new, but she is not giving out any names.

Nas recently dissed Kelis on his song, "Strong Will Survive."

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Is Drake a legend after One Album?

There has been a lot of discussion about Drake over the past few years. People laughed when Jimmy from "Degrassi" decided he wanted to be a rapper. Around the same time, Lil Wayne was working with many different artists. Lil Wayne was featured on the first Drake mixtape. 50 Cent called Wayne a music whore after this.

50 Cent said Drake was not even a real rapper, instead he was an actor for a Canadian teenage soap opera. Drake knew about the diss from 50 Cent, but he chose not to respond. Instead, he gathered his thoughts and began working on his next release. Again, Drake teamed up with Lil Wayne.

The frustration and the help from Lil Wayne ended up making his second mixtape, So Far Gone. Because of the quality of the mixtape, some people mistook it for an album. It featured big-time collaborations and radio singles. "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" both ended up having music videos.

Many people wanted Drake to rush and release an album before the end of 2009. This was something he could not do, even as badly as he loved his fans. Drake wanted to wait before putting out his debut album because he wanted it to be classic. He sat back and listened to Nas, much of Thank Me Later was inspired by Nas' debut album, Illmatic. Only one day after the release of Thank Me Later, it was hailed as an instant classic by Hip Hop Vibe. The album has been met with positive reivews and he has earned comparisons to the legends in the game.

Looking back at Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, AZ, and Raekwon, those rappers were legends after the release of their debut album. In the time since their debuts, there have not been too many rappers to release classic debut albums. At the time of its release, 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' was considered a classic, but it has not aged well over time. This is because of the hardcore focus of the album and his revenge against those who wronged him. Drake, on the other hand, is simply declaring his arrival to the game and assuming his position.

Thank Me Later has already gone down in the books as a classic album and Drake is being referred to as legendary. Of course, his performance on the album is legendary. But, after recording one album and it being well-received, is Drake a legend?

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Ginuwine takes credit for Nas' crossover appeal

When Nas first came into the game, he took rap back to its core. Nas did not make records for the pop charts and his popular collaboration, "If I Ruled The World" with Lauryn Hill, was still a song about the issues. To this day, Nas focuses on the issues, but he knows how to loosen up.

Eleven years ago, Nas released Nastradamus. The album was not much of a critical success. However, one single that stuck out was "You Owe Me." All of a sudden, Nas was openly rapping like other rappers. This was the first crossover single from Nas and it was very popular. It led to more crossovers.

On Nas' new album, he plans to step outside of his comfort zone and record songs like "You Owe Me." Ginuwine said if it had not been for his vocals on the song, Nas would not be doing this. For years, he was in the corner, but Nas came out after they collaborated.

Ginuwine credits Nas for staying true to himself, but still finding a way to cross over and reach the mainstream crowd. Had it not been for "You Owe Me," there is a chance Nas would have not branched out the way he did over the years. Ginuwine feels Nas has a message in his music which needs to be heard. Because of this, he is glad Nas has been able to cross over. His words have reached a lot of people and has inspired change in a lot of communities. There is a chance this would have never happened if "You Owe Me" never came.

The song, in Ginuwine's opinion, was one of the biggest songs of Nas' career because of the doors it opened up for him. He said no rapper wants to keep themselves in a box and he was glad Nas found a way to keep himself out of the box and reach the people. Ginuwine said the song still receives love when he performs it at clubs across the world. "You Owe Me" is one of Ginuwine's personal favorite songs and a song he loves to go out and perform.

Ginuwine urged all rappers to think outside of the box and expand themselves. If they do, they may be surprised with what they may come up with.

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Nas removes tattoo of Kelis

When Nas married Kelis, in 2005, he went all out because he was in love with her. Much like many other rappers, Nas tried to be a playboy. Because of his money, he was able to truly live that lifestyle. But, after he began dating Kelis, she brought about a good change in him. Soon, his feud with Jay-Z ended and he would get a tattoo of Kelis' face on his arm.

Nas changed for the better for Kelis, but he could not avoid a feud with his former friend, 50 Cent. Angry because he did not side with him against Irv Gotti and Ja Rule, 50 Cent would diss his former ally. In 2005, 50 Cent decided to take on half of the industry in three verses. "Piggy Bank" was his vehicle and he also dissed Fat Joe, Ja Rule, and Jadakiss, aside from Nas.

In the song, he famously teases Nas for getting a tattoo of Kelis on his arm. Only two years before, Kelis made the promiscious song, "Milkshake." She implys her "milkshake" brings all of the boys to her yard. 50 Cent used the hook in the song to diss Nas and the tattoo. Nas would soon respond and Kelis responded in 2006. Now, Nas can look back on the diss from 50 Cent and laugh. Kelis had the milkshake to bring him to the yard, but he left and the tattoo is gone.

There was a time when he wanted to be able to see Kelis all of the time. Getting the tattoo was one way of being able to do this. But, after all she has put him through for the past year, Nas would not be trying to see her at all if it had not been for the child they created. Not wanting any more reminders of his failed relationship with Kelis, Nas has decided to cut all of his losses and get the tattoos removed from his arm. The tattoo has been partially removed because he wants to remember the good times.

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Nas and Kelis are officially over

For years, Nas and Kelis were one of the most-popular couples within the hip hop community. After years of dating, the couple wed in 2005 and had a child in 2009. Despite appearing to be the picture of love, the two were falling out of love. Even through the birth of their child, they were drifting apart. While Kelis was still pregnant, she filed for divorce from Nas.

Despite filing for divorce, some people felt as if she would forgive Nas and take him back. For a few weeks, it looked as if it were a major possibility. Having been out of the spotlight, Kelis wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret. She wanted her child with Nas to be a secret, even after he was born. Initially, Nas agreed to allow their child to be a secret.

But, during a concert performance in Queens, Nas announced to the world his first son, Knight, was born. Any chances of Kelis ending the divorce proceedings ended then. In the time since she filed for divorce from Nas, Kelis has been asking for over $700,000 in support from Nas. While demanding over a half of a million dollars, she is not letting Nas see his son. Because of this, Nas has lost the respect he did have for Kelis and he was soon eager to divorce her.

Finally, after five years of marriage and one horrible year, Nas is finally done with Kelis, as far as marriage goes. The divorce was final, today, and Nas plans to move on with his life. Aside from Knight, he has another child, Destiny, who is 16. Nas still sees Carmen Bryan, the mother of Destiny, because of the child and he will still be seeing Kelis, because of their child.

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Kelis has a Boyfriend

The days of Nas and Kelis being happily married are over. The couple went from being the poor man's version of Jay-Z and Beyonce to divorce court. Even though they were divorcing, Nas and Kelis remained civil with each other. However, recently, their split has become quite nasty.

Recently, Kelis decided to sue Nas for support. In the time since they decided to divorce, Kelis has kept her children with Nas away for him. Despite not allowing Nas to see his children, Kelis has sued him for child support. Kelis is also demanding spousal support from Nas.

Despite Nas having money, he has admitted to the court that he cannot afford to pay Kelis what she is asking for. If the recent rumors are true, he may not have to. Kelis is rumored to be dating an NFL player. It is said that the two are quite serious with each other.

If this is indeed the case, Nas may be able to appeal to the court and not have to pay spousal support to his ex-wife, Kelis.

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Nas cannot pay Kelis child and spousal Support

With his album with Damian Marley gaining steam, Nas has been all over the news. However, his news has not been anything that he wants out there. For years, he and Kelis appeared to be a very happy couple. Last year, this happy marriage came crashing down and Kelis wanted a divorce.

Because of his line of work, Nas makes around $800,000 a month, but his lifestyle and taxes only allow him around $100,000 of this money. Kelis has been trying to sue Nas for $200,000 in both child and spousal support. But, Kelis also has a hefty income of her own.

Nas, having other children to pay child support for, living the type of life he lives, and then taxes, cannot afford the numbers that Kelis is asking for. Aside from his own financial woes, Nas knows that Kelis has a good income of her own. These two facts have him fighting paying Kelis $200,000.

However, the main reason that Nas is trying to get out of paying this money is because of the possibility of him not being able to pay for it.

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Kelis ready for Nas divorce

For the past year, Nas and Kelis have been involved in a nasty divorce. Their divorce comes after a seemingly happy marriage. Many people considered them to the one of the top powercouples in hip hop. Unlike a lot of publicized relationships, the one between Nas and Kelis seemed solid.

Things are not always what they appear to be and the ongoing divorce dispute makes that obvious. The once-strong relationship between Nas and Kelis has become very bitter with no signs of reconciliation. Nas had been facing contempt of court because he owed $200,000 in backed child support.

Once Nas paid over $300,000 back to Kelis, the charges were dropped. Now that she has her money, Kelis has refiled her divorce papers. The-once happy couple in hip hop is officially over and Kelis wants the papers signed. Kelis said that it would be in both's best interests if they divorced.

Kelis fears that the divorce proceedings could take years to resolve, but she hopes to address other issues. She also said that her relationship with Nas is beyond repairable.

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Kelis prepares "Flesh Tone" release

Following the release of "Bossy" and her 2006 album, Kelis has been away from the game. For years, she has been around and she has posted hits from time-to-time. But, for the most part, Kelis has never been a household name. However, after the release of "Bossy," things looked as if they were going to change.

Had she and Nas not put the brakes on a four-year marriage, things may have turned out better for her career. Once the seemingly-happy couple fell out of love, Kelis had to change her plans. She soon made news by fighting Nas for child support money. Her divorce from Nas has provided Kelis more attention than her music ever did.

Kelis is hoping that the attention will soon switch back to her music, as she is working on a new album. The new album, Flesh Tone, is already in production. The first single from the album "Acapella," which has topped some international charts. Kelis will release Flesh Tone on July 6, 2010 on Interscope Records.

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