Chris Brown takes over at the 2011 BET Awards

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Last night, Chris Brown returned to the top of the R&B game. It was a night Brown hopes he will never forget. Spending the night at the 2011 BET Awards, surrounded by legends in black entertainment, Chris Brown stood out. The Virginia singer performed his hit, "She Ain't You," and won several awards.

Chris Brown officially made himself the king of R&B when he won the BET Award for 'Best Male R&B Artist.' Brown has released several hits, starting with "Deuces" last summer, and currently still ongoing with "She Ain't You." Chris Brown truly showed his talents when he rapped on "Look At Me Now."

In a collaboration with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, the song made sure Chris Brown was undeniable. Last night, he was honored for all of his hard work. "Look At Me Now" gained him the award for 'Best Collaboration' and 'Viewer's Choice.' There was much celebration for Chris Brown and his camp, last night.

Truly showing he is a force to be reckoned with, Chris Brown beat out veteran, Usher, and the ever-popular, fellow Virginia native, Trey Songz, for the 'Best Male R&B' award. It was during last year's BET Awards when Chris Brown performed his Michael Jackson tribute and won the crowd over.

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Is Chris Brown officially the King of R&B?

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

With everything he has been through, Chris Brown has shown the world how tough of a man he is. In addition to showing how we he can bounce back, Brown has also shown the world how talented he is. Ever since his mixtape track, "Deuces," Chris Brown has been all over the radio, once again.

The R&B game has been dominated by Trey Songz in recent years, but another shift has taken place. In 2009, Trey Songz released his album, Ready, while Usher and Ne-Yo were on hiatus. During their break, Trey Songz rose to the occassion. At the time, Chris Brown was struggling.

Chris Brown is all over the radio during the summer of 2011, obviously his struggle is over. Recently, it was announced he would be among the performers at the 2011 BET Awards. His tribute to his primary influence, Michael Jackson, at last year's BET Awards is what led to his massive comeback. Now, with his career back on track, Chris Brown is hoping to take things to the next level.

Among his hits on the radio is his hip hop track, "Look at me Now." The song features Busta Rhymes and frequent collaborator, Lil Wayne. Chris Brown raps through most of the song, except for a couple of lines, in which he sings. For years, Brown has rapped for fun, but after the success of "Look at me Now," he is considering releasing a rap mixtape. Right now, the R&B game is his playground, so Chris Brown could very well release a rap mixtape with his popularity at a new all-time high.

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Tyrese makes official Big Screen return with "Fast Five"

By The Film Critic
JR Staff Writer

Currently, Tyrese Gibson is one of the biggest entertainers on the planet, but his career has humble beginnings. Tyrese began his career singing short jingles for various commercials. Once his buzz built, he was soon doing cameo spots in several videos. His most-notable appearance was in Usher's "My Way" video.

Following his appearance in Usher's video, Tyrese was soon being groomed as a possible competitor to Usher. Tyrese had his own career and he was gaining popularity. Soon, Tyrese was a platinum singer in his own right. His biggest single, to-date, was his 2003 top ten smash, "How You Gonna Act Like That."

Tyrese has since taken a back seat with music, focusing on his budding film career. The Fast and the Furious became a film franchise in 2001. Initially, Ja Rule was invited to become the face of the franchise. At the time, Rule was the biggest rapper in the game. Due to his popularity, Ja Rule demanded more money than the company was willing to spend, so he was replaced with Tyrese.

Tyrese has reprised his popular role in the film series for the latest, Fast Five. The new film premiered earlier today.

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Usher switches Talent Agencies at the Urge of New Girlfriend

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Most of his career, Usher has had Mark Cheatham as an agent for Creative Artists Agency. Under their guidance, Usher has been one of the most successful entertainers of all-time. While Usher has had an incredible run with his agency, the run is over.

Usher has decided to leave Creative Artists Agency. The agency is also home to Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, and many other big names. Despite the major roster and the impressive work, Usher has left the agency. He will now be working with the William Morris Agency.

Rumors suggest Usher is making this switch because of his new girlfriend, Grace Miguel. These rumors are not hard to believe. In 2007, Usher fired his mother as his manager because Tameka Foster, then-girlfriend, current ex-wife, told him to. But, when things did not work out, a reunion took place between Usher and his mother.

Recently, Usher has been spending time with Grace Miguel. Miguel worked for Def Jam as an executive for years. It has been said that Grace has complete control over Usher and all of his decisions. Usher is currently 32 and Miguel is currently 43, 11 years his senior.

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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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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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Nicki Minaj denies Bisexual Rumors

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Ever since 2007, Nicki Minaj had been building a large following in New York City. But, in 2009, she gained national attention with her Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape. However, it was not until her verse on Ludacris' "My Chick Bad" and Usher's "Lil' Freak" when fans realized Nicki Minaj was here to stay.

Nicki Minaj proved to be very aggressive and curious in a sexual manner. The Queens rapper performed in Usher's "Lil' Freak" as a woman coming on to another woman. Given her robust figure and rather pretty face, her verse opened up fantasies for many men. The verse also was the beginning of several rumors.

During the fall of 2010, Nicki Minaj forged a friendship with Rihanna, another popular sex symbol. Ever since her split from Chris Brown, Rihanna has been a rumored lesbian. When the two began spending time together, rumors suggested they had hooked up. Both played into the rumors before angrily lashing out at the media.

For the first time giving a straight answer, Nicki Minaj said she is indeed straight. It turns out her lyrics are simply lyrics and nothing more. She raps about various things, but Nicki Minaj loves men when it comes down to it.

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Usher sextape with Tameka Foster for sale?

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Approaching a year after the divorce of Tameka Foster and Usher is still facing problems. In 2007, Usher decided to leave the playboy image behind and settle down. When he married Tameka Foster, he did it at the expense of his mother. She never approved of the marriage and did not attend the wedding.

Early in the marriage, Usher had two children by Foster. Before her relationship with Usher, Tameka Foster already had three children. It was the three children that led to Usher's mother disapproving. Not until after the divorce was Usher able to fully repair the relationship with his mother.

The lessons his mother warned him about were learned and Usher got out of the marriage. Despite the "Papers" single, Usher said he had simply fallen out of love. Usher maintains he and Foster maintain a strong friendship. But, the contents of the Raymond v. Raymond album state differently. Both Usher and his ex-wife say things are great between them.

The current status of their relationship may or may not be true, but they were into each other at one point in time. Recently, a sextape of the two was released and it proves that much. Usher now finds himself in the position of several other stars. The singer is fighting as hard as he can to stop the distribution of the tape, but it is not clear if he can stop the distribution. A film company has the rights to the sextape and is currently shopping it to X rated stores.

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JR Valentine's Day 2011: Usher - "There Goes My Baby"

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Usher sued by Morehouse student over "Monster" song

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Due to his Raymond v. Raymond album, Usher has enjoyed a successful comeback. Recently, things have been going very smooth for the Atlanta singer. This past week has been great for Usher, as he landed an endorsement deal with Belvedre Vodka.

With all of Usher's success does come a little bit of controversy. Currently, the singer is being sued by a Morehouse University student over "Monster." The song, which was initially the title track of Usher's album, was written by the student, Kameron Glasper.

Glasper was contracted to write ten songs for the last album from Usher. Currently, he is seeking full ownership of Usher's song, "Monster." Glasper claims he wrote the song and suddenly he wants it back. However, DeKalb County Superior Court has ruled the song had seven singers and none of them were Kameron Glasper.

Glasper is looking to dissolve the contract, own 100% of the songs he wrote, and be paid for all of his lawyer fees.

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Usher becomes the New Face of Belvedere Vodka

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

In 1996, Belvedere was introduced to the United States and was touted as the top vodka. The brand was soon endorsed by Jay-Z and his crew. However, soon he began rapping about Cristal and later Patron. Belvedere, however, has remained highly popular.

Last year, Diddy created his own line of vodka with his Ciroc brand. Over the past few months, the brand has grown in popularity. While there are many other rival vodka brands, it is the Ciroc brand giving Belvedere the biggest competition. The older brand recently hit back.

Diddy, a hip hop figure, creating his own vodka brand has made the hip hop community embrace Ciroc. Belvedere recently made a power move when they added Usher to their advertising campaing. Not only will he be doing promotion for Belvedere, Usher will become the face of their 2011 promotional campaign.

Half of all of the profits made from Usher will be donated to help HIV/AIDS in Africa. The partnership will be made official when Belvedere sponsors Usher's performance on Sunday night after the Grammys.

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Kanye West determined to be the next King of Pop

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Before he even made it big in the rap game, Kanye West had dreams of dominating the music industry. From an early age, West's biggest influence was Michael Jackson. Early in 2004, Kanye West's big break finally came. While he grew up in hip hop, Kanye West admitted he was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson has been hailed as the most creative genius in the history of entertainment. Not only was he a gifted singer, but he was also a gifted composer. But, by the 1990s, the industry wanted someone new. For years, there has been the search for the person to fill Michael Jackson's shoes.

Over the years, Usher, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Ralph Tresvant, and many others have been hailed as the next Michael Jackson. All of those men have been influenced by Jackson. Usher, arguably the most successful out of them all, has admitted he tried to be like Michael Jackson when he was younger. But, over time, Usher has developed his own style and is a legend in his own right.

Kanye West has been hailed as one of the greatest producers of the new generation. In 2004, he released his first rap album and has since become known as one of the best rappers in the game. After mastering rap, West created a successful R&B album in 2008. Kanye West has proven he can accept any challenge thrown his way and he plans to continue rising. His first love is still hip hop, but Kanye West continues to evolve his style.

Even before Michael Jackson's death, Kanye West wanted to go down in history as the greatest artist in history. But, after the death of Jackson, Kanye West became more aggressive in gaining the title. The work on his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, proves this. West has stepped up his lyrical levels and has even made strides with his singing abilities. Before he is done with the game, Kanye West is determined to become the next King of Pop.

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Usher ft. will.I.am - "OMG"

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Trey Songz working on New Album, plans 2011 release

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Ever since his 2005 debut, Trey Songz had always been in the shadows of other male R&B acts. The game has been dominated by both R. Kelly and Usher for years. Ne-Yo was immediately added to the list, along with Jamie Foxx, in 2006.

In 2009, Usher's album was pushed back and Ne-Yo had no plans of releasing any music. Meanwhile, Mario and Trey Songz worked on new music. Mario released his album during the summer and Songz released his single during the summer.

Fans not familiar with Trey Songz had mistaken him for Mario more than once. Before the end of 2009, there was no question about who Trey Songz was. After his "I Invented Sex" hit, he received many comparisons to R. Kelly.

Last year, Ne-Yo and Usher both released new albums, but they were still being overshadowed by music released by Trey Songz in 2009. Before the end of last year, Trey Songz had released another album and it also overshadowed the releases from the other veterans. Now, with his popularity at an all-time high, Trey has decided to strike while the iron is hot.

Trey Songz is already back in the studio, working on his fifth studio album, which he plans to release before the end of 2011.

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Chilli reveals Romantic Relationship with Michael Jackson

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Ever since her breakup from Dallas Austin, the media has been very involved with Chili's love life. She has had failed relationships with a number of men, including Usher and Floyd Mayweather. Last year, she partnered with VH1 in order to find love. "What Chili Wants" is currently in the middle of season two.

While the media has been involved in Chili's romantic life, it is nothing like how they have been involved in Michael Jackson's overall life. It is the main reason he is no longer here today. Every move Jackson made was analyzed by the media. Many outlets tried to portray him as a homosexual child molester.

There are many fans who say he did not molest the young boys, but that he was a homosexual. Michael Jackson always insisted he was straight, but it appeared as if all of his defenders were paid off. But, recently, there is breaking news about his romantic life. Despite having the three children, many people assumed Jackson had them artificially.

Recently, Chili revealed Usher was not the only R&B king that she had a relationship with. After her breakup from Usher, Chili said she began spending time with Michael Jackson. She said they had a couple of dates and they kissed. Chili admitted she was madly in love with Jackson and that he had deep feelings for her, too and they would have been together if he were still alive. She revealed that she went to see Michael Jackson before his death and they shared a passionate kiss then, too.

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Usher makes a Bold Statement

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

Last year, Usher proved he still had it after his divorce with the successful Raymond v. Raymond album. The song was full of hits and Usher solidified his position as a force in the game. In the months since the death of Michael Jackson, the media has been looking for someone to take the throne.

Many people considered Ne-Yo to be Usher's biggest competition for the longest time. However, while both of them were on hiatus, Trey Songz emerged as a force. Despite being a rapper, Kanye West has set his sights on breaking through the rap scene as the King of Pop.

While Kanye West has been the only person to openly say this, others have just stepped their game up. Ne-Yo made a movie out of his videos and improved his steps. Trey Songz has remained in the studio, dropping repeated hits. Even with no album planned, Trey Songz is still working hard to bring something new to the table.

With all of the attention on the likes of Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo, and others, Usher came back and reclaimed the spotlight. Earlier today, Usher made a bold statement that is likely to turn heads. He said he plans to create a new genre of music on his future albums. Usher said his new genre of music will revolutionize pop music. This is what Usher is betting on, as he has named the new genre Revolutionary pop and he even has a new haircut, the fauxhawk, to go along with the change in style.

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Usher and Alicia Keys sued over "My Boo" collaboration

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

In 2004, Usher and Alicia Keys turned heads with their fall hit single, "My Boo." The song became the official anthem for couples in love around the world. Even six years after its release, the song still receives moderate airplay, still warming hearts. The song helped establish Usher as a true force in the game.

The song was a part of Usher's classic Confessions album, one of the best-selling albums of all-time. All of Usher's hard work and determination paid off on that album. He spent over two years in the studio and he made a significant amount of money off the album. Now, it looks as if it is his time to pay up.

Not only did they record "My Boo" together, but the duo also created the 2005 hit, "Caught Up." Their work led to many people believing the two were dating. Those rumors were false, but the singing duo being sued is the truth. Wadena Pyratt claims to have written this song in 2002 and to have landed a record deal because of this song. She was signed to Keys' MBK label.

While her album never came out, her "Caught Up" song did and it helped establish Usher as an international pop star. She is planning to sue for pain and damaging and a percentage of all profits the album generated for both Alicia Keys and Usher.

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Usher prepares "OMG Tour" and talks Michael Jackson

By The Music Scoop
JR Staff Writer

This year has been great for Usher as he has dominated yet another summer. Beginning in the winter, he gave the world "Daddy's Home," and he continued well into the spring. "Lil' Freak" ushered in the warm weather and he slowed things down with "There Goes My Baby."

While all of those songs were hits, the summer was not defined until the release of "OMG." Usher posted yet another number one single and solidified himself as the king. Even months after its initial release, the song still receives significant radio play. Now, Usher has decided to capitalize off his success.

Usher has arranged for an "OMG Tour." Of course, the tour is named after his chart-topping hit. But, Usher said he wants the people to literally think "Oh, my God" after seeing him perform. In many ways, Usher is being compared to the new Michael Jackson. Ever since his untimely death last summer, people have been looking for an artist to fill that void.

Growing up, Usher was a big fan of Michael Jackson's and he inspired his career. Usher hopes to make similar achievements to what Jackson did. However, he will not push himself the way Michael Jackson did because that is one reason he died. Right now, Usher considers himself to be relatively young, but when he gets older, Usher said he will not be touring. Later in his career, Usher still wants to put out music, but he will not be going on tour following the releases.

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Keri Hilson rates the Men of Hip Hop and R&B

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

During a recent interview with Funkmaster Flex, Keri Hilson was asked to rate some of the men in hip hop and R&B. Among the men she rated were 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and Drake. In the interview, Hilson gave her honest opinion. She was afraid her honesty may end up hurting some of the mens' feelings.

When speaking on Trey Songz, Keri Hilson said he was extremely sexy. She likes his body, but she is not into the sexy guys like him who make sexy faces. Hilson gave him credit for also being handsome in the face and rated him between a seven and an eight. She felt as if that was a good number for him.

Keri Hilson said she thinks J. Cole is sexy, but mainly because of his talent. Hilson says talent is a major turn-on for most girls. She later went on to say he is not her type because she likes chocolate and she does not like tall men. Most of the men on the list were high-yellow said Hilson. She ended up giving J. Cole between a five and a six.

More of her type, however, was Usher. Keri Hilson had a lot to say about Usher. The two recorded together on the remix of Trey Songz' "I Invented Sex." Hilson admitted she always liked Usher's body and his dancing abilities. Because of all of this, and the fact that he was not too tall, Keri Hilson ended up giving the "There Goes My Baby" singer a nine.

As the interview went on, she gave John Legend a seven. While she said 50 Cent had a nice body, Hilson said he was not her type, she gave the G-Unit general a five. Keri Hilson said she did not want to hurt his feelings, so she could not really rate Drake. In her opinion, Hilson felt some of Drake's attractiveness came from his sensitivity because females like that. She ended up giving Drake a six.

Last year, Keri Hilson teamed up with Lil Wayne and scored her biggest hit to date. Again, because of his creativity, Wayne scored pretty high. But, one major turn off for Hilson was all of his children. She said that would be very hard to deal with. Wayne's life, to her, is like one big happy family. But, even with the big family and the legal woes, Keri Hilson gave Lil Wayne a seven.

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Usher and Tameka are friends

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

During his hiatus, Usher went off and built a family. He married an older woman, Tameka Foster, who was a mother of three. Despite warnings from his mother, Usher still married her and gave her two more sons. After a two-year marriage, Usher had enough of her and prepared his divorce, which led to the song, "Papers."

Ever since the couple divorced, Usher has been back in the eye of the public. The release of Raymond v. Raymond made him the biggest name in R&B again. Now that he is back in rotation, the gossip magazines and websites have had a field day. Earlier this year, the questions about Tamkea came and Usher handled them easily.

Tameka Foster also spoke about her relationship with Usher and she said it was great mainly due to the children. Foster went on to state both of her childrens' fathers have great relationships with her and with each other. The most important thing to the adults in the childrens' lives is that they have a stable family life. Often, all eight of them are together having family events.

Even through everything that has happened, Usher and Tameka have remained as friends.

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