USHER PERFORMS AT THE APOLLO THEATER; IS USHER'S ALBUM FLOPPING ALREADY?

Below are pics of Usher performing at the Apollo theater in Harlem, New York last week. Dude looks like he's working hard (if that's what you call grabbing your crotch a la Michael Jackson-style and humping the floor as if you're Bobby Brown during his Tenderoni-era)to better the sales of his fourth studio album, Here I Stand which was released on May 29, 2008. The album debuted at number one last week selling 433,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan thus making Usher the title of ‘Highest First Week Sales Of The Year For A Male Artist’. However, in just its third week of of release the album has already plummeted to the number three spot...selling a mere 139,370 copies. But before you do any rejoicing, consider this: Usher's Confessions sold 1,096,000 copies its first week at retail. Here I Stand couldn't even muster half of Confessions tally. Maybe his next single, Moving Mountains will help him to move more units of this album.

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NEW CANDIDS: RAVEN SYMONE OUT & ABOUT IN LOS ANGELES; SINGER'S NEW ALBUM SELLS UNDER 5,000 UNITS.

Disney star Raven Symone was spotted riding her Segway out in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. I guess Raven has a lot of time on her hands since axing her Pajama Party tour which was supposed to have kicked off this spring but was scrapped for what an AEG Live concert promoter would only call "unforeseen circumstances." And with very little promotion, the star's third solo album, Raven Symone isn't faring too well on the charts. For starters, Raven Symone failed to debut in the top 50 on Billboard's Top 200....coming in at No. 162. Released on April 29th, the album has sold under 5,000 units, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Raven's label Hollywood Records initially shipped 100,000 units. Lord, have mercy. As if that wasn't bad enough, Raven Symone has also sold less copies than Raven's previous studio album, This Is My Time (released in 2004) which sold 19,000 units and debuted at No. 51. However, total sales from Raven's participation in Disney's The Cheetah Girls' films and its soundtracks have sold over 3 million copies total. But the former child star has failed to duplicate those successful numbers on her last three solo albums. In all, she has sold no more than 300,000 copies which is just a couple of hundred thousand units from being certified gold. Bless her heart.

Some may wonder why Raven-Symone continues to make records, rather than focus on her other successful endeavors. Ebony magazine dubbed her the "The $400 Million Woman," referring to how much money the That's So Raven franchise has made. "I have a lot to say," Raven-Symone said. "I love to perform and touch my audience. When you have a movie or TV show, you are not able to touch them the same way. I don't think music will never be apart from my life." Kinda hard to believe that Raven's Disney fan base is so huge, yet it doesn't reflect in either her post-Disney movies or non-Disney music projects.

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RAPPER K. SMITH'S STRIVING TO FOLLOW IN THE MUSICAL FOOTSTEPS OF HIS UNCLE, WILL...BUT WITH ALOT MORE EDGE.

Will Smith's nephew is set to follow in his famous uncle's footsteps after recording a new single, Better Man, with R&B artist Omarion. Rapper K. Smith has also recorded a debut album, Streetz To Hollywood, with hip-hop heavyweight David Banner, and now he has his sights set on following his uncle's example - although insists he won't be quite as clean-cut. The 18-year-old says, "I definitely got more edge than my uncle. But he showed me the ropes and taught me the business." And young Smith has empire-building plans of his own. He tells Giant magazine, "I want to establish K. Smith as a brand, put out 40 different artists, be in movies and create chocolate bars."

CHECK OUT K. SMITH'S VIDEO, 'BETTER MAN' VIDEO FEATURING OMARION AFTER THE JUMP.

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IN TODAY'S 'THIS NIGGAH, HERE!' EDITION: THE BIG GREAT APE A.K.A. 50 CENT, SAYS HE'S TOO FAMOUS TO DATE A 'NORMAL' PERSON.

I mean really, Magilla! For someone whose teeth resemble a row of white garage doors, he sure does bust his chops and flap those gorilla gums alot. Yeah, I said it!

Rapper 50 Cent blames his bachelor status on his celebrity status - because his fame makes it impossible to date a "normal" person. The hip-hop star has been linked to a string of beauties in the past, and was recently rumored to be dating Crunk&B star Ciara. But he admits his hectic lifestyle makes it difficult to have a proper relationship. He says, "I have a lot going on and it's tough. Let's say that I'd commit to someone who is 'normal' and has a 'normal' lifestyle. But I think they would feel neglected on some levels."

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn-bred rapper has said he will not go through with his threat to retire from rapping and/or the music industry after his Curtis album was outsold by Kanye West's latest album, Graduation. The In Da Club star promised he would 'no longer write music' and step down as rapper if West's Graduation beat his Curtis disc to the top of the Billboard charts -which it did in September (07).

But 50 - real name Curtis Jackson - has reneged on his promise to retire, and instead has vowed to continue battling for chart dominance, claiming it is 'impossible' for rappers to quit. He says, "I don't know if it's possible for a rapper to retire, rappers are like fighters. They condition themselves to be the best. All rappers think they are the best. And they are just waiting for everyone else to recognize they are the best. You'll see them come back and come back."

Yeah, yeah, niggah, whatever.

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NEW PICS: CHRIS BROWN & T-PAIN ON THE TODAY SHOW + CHRIS EXPLAINS WHY HE 'LET' KANYE KEEP HIS ALBUM TITLE.

R&B star Chris Brown chose not to challenge Kanye West over album titles - because the rapper's Graduation was released first. The singer's management team were thrilled when they learned Brown planned to call his new album Graduation, because they dreamed of a publicity-heavy war with West over his album of the same name. But the teenager called his managers off, insisting he wanted to be respectful to West. He says, "I came up with the title seven months ago and people were like, 'Kanye said that his album is called Graduation, and we can just negotiate.' I was like, 'Nah, you're not negotiating... I'll just let him call his album Graduation and I'll just change the title. It's no big deal for me." West is also featured on Brown's new album, Exclusive, which released on Tuesday (06Nov07).

Brown's fans won't know what to do with themselves this holiday season, as the heart throb will be in movie theaters with the film This Christmas, in record stores via his latest album Exclusive, and up close and personal on a just-announced two-month promotional outing. The Exclusive Holiday Tour, which kicks off Dec. 6 in Cincinnati, OH, will also feature co-headliner Bow Wow along with special guests Soulja Boy, Shop Boys and Lil Mama. The trek touches down in arenas from coast to coast through mid-January.

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In more related news, Brown insists on fresh underwear every day and throws out briefs once he has worn them. The Kiss Kiss hitmaker refuses to wear underwear for more than one day at a time. He says, "I'm not a germophobe, but I don't feel like washing them 'cos I'm always moving, so I buy different packs. I buy like five or six packs... and I'm good for, like, a week and (then) I gotta get a whole lot of new drawers."

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JENNIFER LOPEZ FINALLY CONFIRMS PREGNANCY: 'MARC AND I ARE EXPECTING.' + J. LO'S RECORD LABEL SAYS HELL NO

IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! I was wondering when she was going to bite the bullet and confirm what everyone (including her ex-boyfriend, Diddy and her second husband Cris Judd) 2and their mama had known all along.

Jennifer Lopez has finally admitted that she is expecting a baby after much speculation surrounding her expanding waistline. Marc and I are expecting," she said, before hubby Marc Anthony kissed her bump and added "I didn’t know she was going to talk". The singer and actress confirmed the news on stage at a concert she was playing in Miami to her fans' delight. The Miami show also marked the last stop of Lopez's first concert tour. "This is a special time in our lives," said New York-born Lopez, who has sold 17 million records worldwide and released six albums. "And we waited until the last show to tell you."

According to one concert goer, "The whole arena went insane. It was awesome!" Lopez thanked the audience for the applause and said, "We are happy, too." She then turned sideways to reveal her profile and show off her very noticeable bump. She also playfully stuck out her tongue and joked about the news, holding her stomach and saying: "You don't mind if I catch my breath for a minute?"

The 39-year-old has been snapped during performances with a suspiciously round belly but had refused to comment on the rumors until now. Lopez claimed she waited until the end of the tour to speak out about the baby because she did not want people to worry about her health. She did not say when the baby is due. Lopez, who has been married three times, tied the knot with 39-year-old Anthony in 2004.

Check out the youtube clip of Jennifer's announcement below.

READ MORE ON THE RUMORS REGARDING SONY RECORDS DROPPING LOPEZ FOR LOW ALBUM SALES AFTER THE JUMP!

Let her record label tell it, Jennifer Lopez won't have to worry about not getting some much deserved mommy time when she gives births to twins early next year. Why? Two reasons: her diva-tude and her low record sales.

J. Lo is facing the axe from her record label after disappointing sales of her seventh studio album, Brave which was the singer's first studio album to not debut in the top 10 on Billboard's charts. The latest album effort from the Get Right hitmaker was released last month (Oct. '07) and sold a mere 53,000 copies in its first week, prompting reports the Latina would be dropped by Epic Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG. The record label makes an average of $4 per CD, according to most estimates. Any way you do the math, the label is not coming close to breaking even on Lopez.

The label is also reportedly fed up with Lopez's poor record sales and the extravagant costs to maintain the artist. “She costs too much money and doesn’t sell enough,” says the source, who is familiar with the issue. “Her last album cover alone cost $60,000 in hair and makeup, lighting, photographers, re-touching, etc. The video budget was in the neighborhood of $300,000. The woman requires everything short of flying monkeys to get on a stage. Even if Sony keeps her, more than likely she’ll be doing little more than greatest hits albums. That you can do without incurring a huge cost. The label is tired of throwing money away.”

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GINUWINE SHOCKED TO DISCOVER RECORD LABEL HE SIGNED TO ISN'T GENUINE.

I really don't understand how a seasoned R&B artist could not know that a record label ain't all its cracked up to be. Moreover, aren't you supposed to have people to check this sort of thing out before you go jumping in head first into something that seems to be too good to be true?

Ginuwine says he was duped into signing a contract with a record company that doesn't exist. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, the R&B singer says he was persuaded to sign on May 8, 2007, with King Music Group Inc., a company that a personal acquaintance, Michael Bourne of Memphis, Tennessee, said he owned. The When We Make Love singer signed up with King Music because he was friends with Bourne, the "company's" chief. "He'd known Michael for a while. They were friends," said his lawyer, Corey Boddie. "[Bourne] promised him the world, and nothing happened."

Terms of the contract gave Ginuwine, whose real name is Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, $1.75 million to record his first album with King, including a $500,000 advance, according to court papers. In nearly five months, the singer hasn't made any records and hasn't been paid a cent, the lawsuit said. In addition, the lawsuit said, there is no corporate record for King Music Group Inc. anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee.

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The lawsuit accuses King Music and Bourne of breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation. It asks for a total of $4 million in damages for the company having essentially put his award-winning career on hold. Boddie said Thursday that his client is now unable to record anywhere else. He said the singer could be sued if he made records for another company while under contract to King. Boddie said he has been unable to contact Bourne. Bourne's telephone number in Memphis was unlisted and directory assistance had no listing for King Music Group.

Ginuwine's albums include Back II Da Basics, Ginuwine...The Bachelor and The Life.

SOURCE: http://www.wral.com/entertainment/story/1896548/

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NEW CANDIDS: CHILLI CHILLING WITH HER FAMILY

I came across a couple of candid pictures of TLC's Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas spending time with her family. That's her son Tron in the first pic looking like an equal mix of his mom and daddy, music producer Dallas Austin. Speaking of music, according to Chilli, although she was never signed to Akon's Konvict Music label, her long-awaited solo debut (which she started working on after she began dating Usher) is now finished. T-Boz, T-Pain and Kandy Burress (formerly of ATL-based all-female R&B group, X-Scape) are just a couple of folks Chilli collaborated with on her project. When the album will hit record store shelves is the big question. It's been about 5 years in the making, so now only time will tell. In the meantime, Chilli can be heard co-hosting on a couple of Atlanta's top radio stations on any given day. She definitely has the voice for radio.

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