LISA 'LEFT EYE' LOPES NEW ALBUM 'EYE-LACY' SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 11th.

Leave it up to Lisa to be the first member in TLC to release a solo album....again....even after death!! She was always the one who got things done in a timely manner. Anywho, I received a press release via email regarding the November 11th release of the late Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes new solo album EYE-lacy. According to the press release, the project will include 12 unreleased tracks alongside re-tooled songs from the limited edition international release, Supernova (2001). EYE-Legacy also pairs new vocals from the late Left Eye with her female counterparts, TLC and Grammy Award winning rapper/producer, Missy Elliott on the infectious single Let’s Just Do It. Other artists featured on the album include former host of BET's 106 & Park Free, Lil’ Mama (Lip Gloss), and R&B crooner Bobby Valentino (Slow Down). Exclusive bonus material with never-before-seen video footage from Left Eye's final days. After seeing the original version of The Last Days of Left Eye on VH1, I don't think I can deal with watching more footage from that documentary. Just watching it that one time left me tossing and turning for two nights. That, I can do without. On a positive note, percentage of the proceeds from the album sales will go to support the Lisa Lopes Foundation (lisalopesfoundation.org) and her orphanage in Honduras.

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“We hope people understand the message in Lisa’s music and appreciate her as not just a member of TLC, but as a solo artist as well. This album is Left Eye’s musical gift to her fans and adds to the beauty of her legacy,” The Lopes family states. As a member of TLC, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes sold over 45 million albums and amassed numerous accolades for her talent, including 4 Grammy awards and 5 MTV Awards. Left Eye played an integral role in making TLC undoubtedly one of the best selling female groups in music history. EYE-Legacy will hope to grant the millions of Left Eye’s fans and music lovers alike one more chance to connect to TLC’s most celebrated, charismatic and outspoken member—Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

For more information, log onto http://www.lefteyelegacy.com.

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T.G.T. (TANK, GINUWINE & TYRESE) SHELVE THEIR SUPERGROUP PROJECT.

Looks like the next L.S.G. wannabes will never be. R&B supergroup T.G.T. which consisted of R&B male singers Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank has decided to nix plans of releasing an album, blaming label politics for the project's downfall. In 2007, the trio announced plans to hit the studio together and release a collection of tracks under their new moniker. But Ginuwine (real name Elgin Lumpkin) has now revealed the disc has been put on hold indefinitely; although they've found a way around all the legal issues to release some songs to fans. He says, "Due to label and legal issues, we will not be able to release an official TGT album. However, we did make some amazing music which will appear on each of our respective albums." Ginuwine, who recently signed a new record deal with Notifi Records, will release his sixth studio album next year in 2009.

Like Ginuwine, Tyrese isn't sitting around twiddling his thumbs waiting for the next gig to fall in his lap. The singer/actor is busy making movies and running his own record label called Headquarter Entertainment. He has already signed the first act to his record label....a hip-hop/rock group who to by the name of Life Nine. Tyrese says he believes the male quintet's 'Rock-N-Hop' sound - which mixes the genres of rock, R&B and hip-hop - will appeal to music fans across the board and propel them to instant chart success. "After I heard the song Take Me There, I knew that I had the opportunity to be an integral part of something special. "I am truly excited about the undeniable potential of Life Nine." You can also check out Tyrese when he stars in violent new action film Death Race where his plays a thugged out jail prisoner named MAChine Gun Joe. (Read full movie synopsis HERE). He says, "I got so dark in this film... I stayed in character and I never came out. People really thought that I was MAChine Gun Joe. I'm not even a method actor but I had to jump into what I consider method acting on this. When I had the guys following me around in the prison yard, I ran the prison yard and I had to keep that hat on because I know a lot of people that have actually been to prison and ran prison yards. I want them to be the ones to walk up to me and say, 'Yo you did your s**t in this movie!'"

As for you boy Tank. Well, when yall find out what he's been up to, let me know....cause I have no idea.
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MICHELLE WILLIAMS ON HOW SHE COPED WITH THE DISSOLUTION OF HER ENGAGMENT & DREAM WEDDING; APOLIGIZES TO FANS FOR ALBUM'S PUSHBACK.

"I had looked at wedding books. I was looking at venues and doing all those things that a person would do who knows they're gonna marry somebody. I bought the house and all that good stuff. Then it was like, no, that's not gonna happen. I think that was the worst hurt I've ever felt in my life. Nothing can help; food didn't help, trying to get with somebody else didn't help, family didn't even help. It was literally me praying for my heart to get healed, because, when I love, I love pretty hard and I put a lot into a relationship." The singer insists she's glad the break-up happened, because now she's much stronger for it: "I grew so much. I'm a totally different person because of it, but in a good way. A lot of people go through a bad break-up and they just become promiscuous...and they are bitter all the time, but, for me, that didn't happen."

--28-year-old singer Michelle Williams on how she nursed her secret heartache after the 2004 break-up of her engagement and the dissolution of her dream wedding to her former fiancé after he told her he wasn't ready for marriage. Williams says her only way of coping with her heartbreaking loss was through prayer and a big bank account; and she says she's going to make sure her next relationship (or maybe her current one?) will not be so costly. "Relationships get very expensive... You try to fly on the red-eye (overnight plane) home, you try to spend time (with him). When I was overseas, I racked up a $10,000 cell phone bill....I'm not weary of it [getting married] at all. I do believe there is a particular gentleman out there for me who will come when I least expect it." Bless her precious heart. I had no idea she was supposed to be the first wife'd up member of Destiny's Child.

Michelle's new album Unexpected has been pushed back for released from August 18, 2008 to October 7, 2008. Gosh, it's bad enough that it took her two years to record the album and now it's been pushed back 2 months!

AFTER THE JUMP, READ MICHELLE'S APOLOGY TO HER FANS REGARDING HER ALBUM'S NEW RELEASE DATE.

..I am so sorry about the news of my album!!! Trust me......when they told me I was numb for two days and couldn't talk to anybody!!! I had sooooooooooooo many questions of as to why they'd push my album back three weeks before the original release date!!!! I will be honest and say that I am disappointed becuz I feel like we should've been doing more 3 months ago to promote my album instead of waiting to the last minute to change the date!!!! I have thought about EVERYTHING!!! Columbia Records is saying that they need more time to properly set up the album to ensure its success!!! So let's make some lemonade out of the lemons!!! This could very well be a blessing in disguise!!! Plus there are still many people who didn't even know my album was coming out August 12th anyway. I know you guys are LIVID but let's keep the energy POSITIVE!!!! Things will work out for the good!!!! I will still WIN!!!!!

I HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE to do my part in making the album a success!!! I have a great album and am confident that it can stand with the rest of the great music that is coming out this year!!!!

MICHELLE'S BLOG POST VIA HER OFFICIAL MYSPACE.COM PAGE.

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COMMUNITY GROUP OF BLACK MEN PLEDGE TO BOYCOTT R. KELLY UNTIL HE PUBLICLY APOLOGIZES FOR HIS LIL-GIRL-LOVING BEHAVIOR.

Am I the only one who isn't surprised that we haven't heard a peep from Chester Molester a.k.a. R. Kelly since his acquittal of child pornography charges a couple of months ago? Maybe he figured if he stayed behind closed doors long enough folks would soon forget about him and his little-girl-loving ways. Well, there's one particular community group who refuses to let Kelly and anyone else forget about those allegations brought against him. According to The Daily Swarm, a group of 19 male professors, writers and activists in the African-American community – including New York congressional candidate Kevin Powell – are calling themselves “Black Men Against the Exploitation of Black Women” and are urging people to “make a personal pledge to never support R. Kelly again in any form or fashion unless he publicly apologizes for his behavior and gets help for his long-standing sexual conduct in his private life and in his music.”

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In the meanwhile and in between time, there are rumblings that R. Kelly is trying to leave his longtime label Jive and sign with Universal's Interscope. His new album, titled 12 Play: Fourth Quarter, is the fourth installment of the 12 Play series and will be released soon on Jive, but his management team has been seeking a new and more lucrative deal for future releases, and they’ve approached several other companies, including Interscope, reports The Business Sheet.

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CHILLI GRACES THE COVER OF 'COOL TOUCH PROMOTIONS' MAGAZINE + CLUB PICS WITH AMERIE & NE-YO AT UPTOWN IN ATLANTA.

(CLICK PIC TO SEE ITS FULL IMAGE.)

Here's a little Friday eye-candy for you guys out there. Chilli of TLC graces the cover of Cool Touch Promotions magazine. According to its website, Cool Touch Promotions is an entertainment and lifestyle magazine created to showcase the hottest in southern hip hop music and style. Bringing you the best in provoking editorials and exclusive interviews, CTP magazine is quickly becoming the industry resource for today’s upcoming artists, tomorrow’s trendsetters and the movers and shakers who “make” the industry. The appeal of our magazine targets the urban market through a level of quality, presence and content seen through every feature and has branded us the breeding ground for the newest movement in hip hop. So without a doubt, CTP is more than a magazine………it’s the language of hip hop with dat distinct drawl of this thing we call “The South”!!!!

And that's all the information I have on this magazine. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume Chilli's on the cover, not only because of her pretty face and because she hails from the ATL, chances are the 'sexy' component of TLC is gracing CTP latest mag cover in order to promote her long-awaited solo debut album Bi-Polar...slated to hit stores on September 2, 2008, God willing. Hopefully more information will be available once this issue hits newsstands wherever the magazine is sold.

Below are pics of Chilli, Amerie, Ne-Yo and music producer Brian Cox at Mondays at Uptown Restaurant & Lounge in Atlanta on Monday, July 14, 2008.

Is it me, or is Chilli looking a bit more busty in her bosom area?


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COMEDIAN/ACTOR JOHN WITHERSPOON TO RELEASE HIS FIRST HIP-HOP/COMEDY ALBUM, '63 CENTS.'

Comedian John 'You Got to Coor-dinate' Witherspoon is preparing to release his new Hip-Hop/Comedy album comically titled 63 Cents. The 'BAM, BAM, BAM!' actor-turned-rapper's album will be available on iTunes soon and will be listed under both genres, the accomplished television and film actor told AllHipHop.com in a new interview. Featuring songs like Don’t Nobody Go In The Bathroom (For About 35-45 Minutes), and Dance Now With Your Big Ole Ass, Witherspoon takes credit for writing the majority of the lyrics on the new project. Also contributing to the album is the Detroit-born comedian’s brother Ron, who produced three tracks on 63 Cents and rapper Big K.

Despite previous collaborations in movies and videos with Kid-N-Play, Ice Cube, Jay-Z and others, don’t expect any guest appearances or even a stellar performance, Witherspoon warns. “It’s just me,” Witherspoon told AllHipHop.com in a recent interview. “It may not be the best rappin’ in the world, but it’s funny as hell. Very entertaining.” Excuse me yall, but I can barely type because I keep laughing so damn hard at the very thought of old dude having the gall to even record a rap album! What frightens me even more is the fact that I wouldn't mind listening to it! But I'll digress....Anyhoo, Witherspoon will personally fund at least two videos from the new album, one for Dance, and the other for Don’t Be P*ssy Whipped (Whip that P*ssy!).

CONTINUE READING JOHN WITHERSPOON'S STORY BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!'

Perhaps best known for his turn as cantankerous patriarch Mr. Jones in the Friday trilogy, Witherspoon has appeared in several urban classics, including Boomerang, Hollywood Shuffle, House Party and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. He also has roles in cult classic Hip-Hop films (which ain't have no business being released in theaters, video rental stores or online) like I Got The Hook Up and Soul Plane. His even lengthier television credits include appearances on TV shows like 227, Amen, Barnaby Jones, Good Times, What’s Happenin’, and of course his four year run on The Wayans Brothers as John “Pops” Williams. Most recently, Witherspoon voiced the character of Robert “Grandad” Freeman on Adult Swim’s popular series The Boondocks, based on the highly-acclaimed comic strip of the same name.

“I relate to the younger people because those movies and TV shows kind of stop your aging,” Witherspoon said of his most recent body of work. “I’m still like a young person on those projects.” Witherspoon’s first hour-long stand up special, You Got To Coordinate, which premiered on Showtime in March, is currently available in DVD and CD format, as well as on iTunes.

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D'ANGELO NEWEST FIRST ALBUM IN 8 YEARS TO BE RELEASED EARLY NEXT YEAR.

R&B star D'Angelo is making progress on his first studio album since 2000, which will likely be released early next year via J Records. The label purchased D'Angelo's contract in 2005 from Virgin, which issued his first two studio albums. For his as-yet-untitled J debut, D'Angelo has already collaborated with Raphael Saadiq and also plans to record with John Mayer, according to a source. A single may be out before the end of the year. But just in case you can wait that long, you can go out and pic up the singer's The Best So Far..., a CD/DVD retrospective, which features hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.

D'Angelo has largely fallen off the musical map since 2000's Voodoo, which has sold 1.69 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its single Untitled (How Does It Feel), hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100. In recent years, the artist has endured a serious car accident and drug-related arrests. In lieu of new music of his own, he's made sporadic guest appearances on albums by Common, Snoop Dogg and J Dilla.
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NEW EDITION MEMBER RALPH TRESVANT TO RELEASE 3rd SOLO ALBUM THIS YEAR.

New Edition member Ralph Tresvant is preparing to release his first solo album in two years and his second via his own Xzault Media Group (XMG) label. The as-yet-untitled project, due later this year, includes the lead single It Must Be You, which arrives July 1 on iTunes, Amazon.com and other digital download sites, reports Billboard.com. "This album is something I've been wanting to put out for awhile," Tresvant tells the Web site. "I'm not really thinking about this project as having a certain sound or sticking to a certain formula. I talk about love, social issues...these songs round off where I've come from and who I am after all this time." Tresvant's last solo effort was the 2006 XMG release RizzWaFaire. He has charted five top 10 R&B singles, including the 1990 No. 1 Sensitivity. His business partner and XMG co-owner Dan Dillman says the company's upcoming plans include an up-close-and-personal tour featuring Tresvant.

As previously reported, New Edition will receive ASCAP's Golden Note Award during the performing rights organization's annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards at the in Beverly Hills on June 23. The group's 25-year career will be saluted during the ceremony.
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AMERIE ATTENDS 36tt AFI LIFE ACHEIVEMENT AWARD CEREMONY; FINDS NEW RECORD LABEL HOME AT DEF JAM.

Singer Amerie is set to undergo a career overhaul - after signing a deal with the record label which turned Rihanna and NeYo into international superstars. The singer has parted ways with Columbia Records and inked a deal with Def Jam, the company that secured the blockbuster track Umbrella for Rihanna in 2007, catapulting her to global fame. And Amerie, who has previously released two albums to moderate success, is hoping the new contract with Def Jam will help boost her career to even greater heights. A source tells Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "Amerie's first two albums did well, but she's ready to step it up a gear now. She was offered a deal too good to turn down and the promise to build upon her reputation for classy and sexy R&B." She is currently in the studio with producer NO ID (Usher and Jay-Z’s Best Thing). Well, I hope she can't finally receive some much needed album promotion with Def Jam. I was starting to believe that that girl was only capable of turning our one hit per album.

Below are images of Amerie attending the 36th AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony honoring actor Warren Beatty at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood last Thursday (6.12.2008). The singer filled in for singer Mya during a performance of Ghetto Superstar (a song off the soundtrack of Bulworth which starred Beatty and Halle Berry) with former Fugees member Pras.

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LIL KIM LEAVES ATLANTIC RECORDS; SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM 'MS. G.O.A.T.' NEXT MONTH; AWARDED $500,000 FROM LAWSUIT AGAINST LIL CEASE.

It's bad enough Lil Kim is beginning to favor a damn brownish billy goat...now the girl done went (yes, I said 'done went') and recorded her first official indy album aptly titled, Ms. G.O.A.T. which hits record stores, flea markets, swap meets and the Internet next month. Kim parted ways with Atlantic Records at the top of the year, saying she was considering going indy. Independent distributor Amalgam Entertainment is putting the project out. Anyhoo, collabos on the album feature stand-outs 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, Britney Spears and newcomer Maino. The disc also boasts tracks, to which Kim lent a few bars -- Keyshia Cole's hit Let it Go, with Missy Elliott, Gucci Mane's club banger Freaky Gurl, and Alica Keys' No One remix.

In related news a stroke of bad luck and a few unpaid installments got her silver Bentley repossessed last month -- though according to Kim she wasn't responsible for the bills. The tide turned a couple of weeks ago when Kim won a $500,000 lawsuit against former friend, Junior M.A.F.I.A. rapper Lil Cease for featuring her in a street DVD about the now defunct clique.

THE PICS BELOW ARE FROM KIM'S ARRIVAL TO THE SEX IN THE CITY MOVIE PREMIERE.

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NEW PICS: T-BOZ & CHILLI CO-HOST ATL RADIO SHOW; CHILLI DEBUTS NEW SONG (AGAIN) TITLED 'DUMB, DUMB, DUMB.' (LINK INSIDE); USHER DOES MTV'S TRL.

Usher made an appearance on MTV's TRL today to debut his new video Love In This Club from his upcoming album Here I Stand which hits stores on May 27th. I don't think I need to explain the 'Oh, my God!!! I can't breeve cause I can't believe Usher is right here in my face in broad daylight....and in real life! OMG!' Girl, please. I didn't know fans still behaved this way over their favorite celebs. That is so 8701...which is also the last time I bought an Usher record.

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And while Usher was up north promoting his new music, the singer's ex-girlfriend, Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas along with her TLC band mate Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins were down south in the ATL co-hosting and co-clowning [on] Ryan Cameron's Afternoon Show on V-103. Both ladies were there to promote their new projects. Thomas had originally debuted her new song Dumb, Dumb, Dumb last Friday (April 4th) on Cameron's show. However, she played it again today. To listen to Chilli's Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, click HERE Of the song, Chilli says, 'The record is bananas! What girl can not relate to this? What girl can not relate to being in a relationship...where you were like the perfect person in the whole, wide, world...and you know, he messed up? But honestly, I don't want to make it like a male-bashing record because there are a lot of good guys out there who have been in some relationships with some really 'dumb, dumb, dumb' girls.' T-Boz, who admitted to dating more than one 'stanka-dank-danks' in her day, chimed in, 'Men, we're here for you! We understand!' Fortunately, T-Boz has been dating NFL player Takeo Spikes for over three years. As for the baby-haired Southern Belle, well, she let it be known that she is still single. Bless her heart. Chilli also received a called-in shout-out from super-producer Dallas Austin with whom she shares a ten-year-old son named Tron. Austin gave much props Thomas telling the song was, 'crazy!' To which Chilli responded, 'Thank you, that means a lot coming from my baby's daddy!'

As for my two cents on Chilli's new song? Excluding any previous TLC tracks, I've heard better from her. I liked the song...but only a little bit. Like her ex's new joint, the song just sounded like a track from one of their yesteryear days, respectively. Too bad we'll never hear a duet from the two because although they're no longer together romantically, their voices together on one record would make for a good track. Anyhoo, Chilli's song is written by Atlanta songwriter, Cristyle 'The Ink' Johnson. Cristyle also written for Mariah Carey (Touch My Body), Tiffany Evans (I'm Grown), Teyana Taylor (Google Me) and Janet Jackson (The 1, What's Ur Name?, So Much Betta).

BELOW, CHECK OUT PICS OF THE LADIES OF TLC IN THE STUDIO

AFTER THE JUMP, FIND OUT WHAT NEW CHILDREN'S CHARITY PROJECT T-BOZ IS LENDING A HAND IN + NEWS FROM MORE OF THEIR UPCOMING PROJECTS AS WELL AS MORE DETAILS FROM T&C's CO-HOSTING GIG.

Now, back to Tionne. The singer in conjunction with her clothing store 'Chase's Closet' is promoting the Purple Ribbons Can Fly Project. This project gives terminally ill children a chance to record a song with a recording artist (T-Boz records her song on April 19th) which will be played on Continental Airlines (also a supporter of this project) during their worldwide air flights. T-Boz urged listeners to support the terminally ill children 'so we can hear their voices across the world, because some of them won't make it.' Check out Chase's Closet for more details.

As for any projects the girls are working on, T-Boz, who made no mention of Blaque's new reality show, Blaque in the House which is slated to debut this summer, says she is currently working on her solo project; as is Chilli. Chilli also plugged her 'Bags by Chilli' accessory line Bags by Chilli. The ladies also said they're working on projects together....although they didn't say what those projects are.

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USHER'S OFFICIAL NEW VIDEO, 'LOVE IN THIS CLUB' TO AIR EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR ON B.E.T. ON APRIL 7th,

For all of you Usher fans, stans and haters, on Monday, April 7th, the world premiere of Usher's new video Love In This Club and first single from his fifth studio album, Here I Stand, will air throughout the day, every hour on the hour on B.E.T. beginning at 11 a.m. The video will also premiere as the New Joint of the Day on the network's top 10 countdown, 106 & Park. Due to popular demand, the release date for Here I Stand, has been moved up from June to May 27, according to Billboard magazine.

Last month, Usher reclaimed his superstar status when the single made an astonishing jump from #51 to the #1 position on both the Hot 100 Singles and Hot Digital Tracks charts for three weeks in a row before becoming the eighth #1 hit in his music career. Love In This Club currently holds the No. 2 spot on Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.

To see a 30 second clip of the video, click HERE.

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MICHELLE WILLIAMS TO DEBUT HER 1st SOLO NON-GOSPEL ALBUM THIS AUGUST.

Can someone please tell me why folks, specifically Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Solange Knowles insist on keeping Mathew Knowles as their manager when it's clearly evident the only person's career he has ever continued to give his undivided attention to is Beyonce? But I'll digress for now. Kelly's--whose last two solo albums couldn't even reach gold status combined (of course I'm being facetious...at least until I'm able to verify it)--former band mate Michelle has made an 'unexpected' decision to record a new album tentatively titled Unexpected....and it's not gospel-related. It's a straight R&B/dance joint. The title is perhaps a nod to her first solo project outside of the gospel genre. Due in August from Music World Entertainment/Columbia Records, the album is full of "synth-y, driving bass samples, electronic keys and bopping drums," according to Billboard.com.

Unexpected marks the follow-up to 2004's Do You Know and 2002's Heart to Yours, with which Williams returned to her church roots. However, Music World CEO Mathew Knowles insists Unexpected isn't that much of a stretch, considering Williams spent the bulk of 2007 playing the raunchy character Shug Avery in Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based cast of The Color Purple. "Destiny's Child fans bought Michelle's last album (which sold about 78,000 copies)," said Knowles. "So now those fans are in their late 20s and early 30s. With Unexpected, she'll be able to appeal to those fans and reach back to the 16-year-old audience and hit mainstream pop radio."

We Break the Dawn is the first single, set for release in April, while Stop This Car, which leaked on the Internet earlier this year, is the second.
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TERRENCE HOWARD TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM, 'A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE ME' THIS FALL.

I think Terrence Howard was bullsh!tting us three years ago when he said, 'It's hard out there for a pimp.' Now, I ain't too sure about dude's vocal capabilities and whatnot, but obviously someone thought enough of them to offer him a record deal. Who knew? The actor has reportedly landed a record deal with Columbia records and will release his debut album later this year. Currently there hasn't been any indication of what type of music he will crafted on his debut release but a label representative says, "The full name (of the project) is Terrence Howard Presents Me And The Band of Kings." The album is allegedly titled A Little Bit More Like Me. The release date has not been finalized yet, but is slated for this fall. “I wanted to produce and write. The only thing I didn't do was play all the instruments because I only play guitar, piano and some cello. But I brought in the most incredible musicians and left them in the room to do what they do, gave them complete autonomy, and they gave me gold. People always give you their best if you give them the room to give their best," Howard told Underground Online.

Aside from his music, the 39-year-old, who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a pimp-turned-rapper in 2005 movie Hustle & Flow, is currently appearing in a Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and will be seen on the big screen in Iron Man this summer.
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RAVEN-SYMONE TO LAUNCH CROSS-COUNTRY 'PAJAMA PARTY' TOUR IN APRIL.

Ladies get your little girls and pre-teen daughters ready! Multi-talented star Raven-Symoné is inviting her fans all over America to join her as the singer brings her cross-country “Pajama Party” tour to arenas nationwide beginning April 26 in Orlando, FL and continuing for 55 dates through July 13 in Sacramento, CA. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early to shows wearing their favorite pajamas for a fun-filled pre-concert slumber party leading up to Raven-Symoné’s performance -- on a stage being designed to replicate her own house. Opening the show will be Raven-Symoné’s fellow Disney star Mitchel Musso, known to fans for his role as Oliver Oken on the smash hit show Hannah Montana. Musso will be performing original hip-hop/R&B songs from his own forthcoming album. In addition, recording artists B5 will perform their hit single Get'cha Head in the Game off the High School Musical soundtrack.

Also, Raven-Symoné has teamed with I Love All Access to provide her fans with an unforgettable VIP ticket package experience at every show including a photo opportunity, backstage tour, party, and the best seats in the house. This special VIP ticket package is available exclusively at RavenSymonePresents.com. Tickets for the tour will go on-sale beginning March 14th.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY + CHECK OUT THE LIST OF CITIES & DATES RAVEN-SYMONE WILL MAKE A STOP IN AFTER THE JUMP!

The tour launches in support of the April 29 release of Raven-Symoné’s self-titled Hollywood Records release, which features some of R&B and hip-hop’s hottest producers including Eric Hudson, Sean Garrett, The J.A.M. and acclaimed songwriting/production team The Clutch. The forthcoming album is led by the Clutch-produced first single, Double Dutch Bus, a cover of the classic early 80’s hip-hop party jam of the same name.

“My message is in this music and everyone associated with the album captured what I'm trying to say,” says Raven-Symoné. That positive attitude explains why Raven-Symoné is both hugely popular and also a role model. That mix of talent and integrity is the reason the longest running Disney Channel series, That’s So Raven (which she produced), has earned numerous honors including two NAACP Image Awards, two Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards and a primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program.

Raven-Symoné's 2008 "PAJAMA PARTY" U.S. Tour Dates

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LINDSAY LOHAN HOOKS UP TO MAKE BEAUIFUL MUSIC WITH NE-YO.

Lindsay Lohan has been given a boost as she embarks on another crack at pop stardom. R&B star Ne-Yo has agreed to join her in the studio. The actress is working on a comeback dance album for legendary soul label Motown, and she has revealed she's getting some major help. Asked if rumors about Ne-Yo's involvement are true, she beams, "Yes, I'm a really big fan of his. He's great. I'm doing one of his songs." In demand Ne-Yo has become the go-to songwriter for today's biggest stars - his Irreplaceable became a massive hit for Beyonce Knowles and he has since gone on to work with Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

And for those of you who wonder how Ne-Yo (real name Shaffer Smith) came up with is stage name, this tidbit of info may help you: the songwriter's stage name is in reference to Neo, the character played by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. A friend gave Ne-Yo the nickname, saying that he saw music the way Neo sees the Matrix in the movie.

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JANET JACKSON'S 'DISCIPLINE' SCORES HER FIRST #1 SPOT ON THE CHARTS SINCE 2001.

Janet Jackson is back in control...at least on the music charts. The singer has a lot to celebrate this week and hopefully next week...and rightfully so. Jackson has deservingly earned her first number one album since 2001 (All For You) after toppling another famous J.J. - Jack Johnson. Jackson ended the surf-rocker's three-week reign atop the Billboard 200 by debuting Discipline at number one, as experts predicted. Damn, Jan, that's a good look, girl! But the new album shifted slightly more than expected, claiming the top spot with 181,000 sales. Erykah Badu's new album AmErykah: 4th World War debuts at two, while Johnson's Sleep Between The Static slides to three. Rapper Webbie's Savage Life 2 enters the new chart at four and As I Am by Alicia Keys rounds out the top five.
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NEW USHER ALBUM, 'HERE I STAND' TO BE RELEASED IN JUNE 2008; 1st SINGLE, 'LOVE IN THIS CLUB' GRABS #1 SPOT ON BILLBOARD CHARTS.

All of you Usher fans should bow down and be utterly thankful to that old walking negro spiritual he calls a wife (yeah, I said it) for finally giving him her permission to return to the studio to complete the follow-up to his history-making, 9x platinum-selling 2004 release Confessions which crowned Usher as the only R&B artist in Soundscan music history to sale more than 1 million copies in its first week. Usher spent 40 weeks in the No. 1 position on The Billboard Hot 100– which is more than any other male artist in the nearly 50 year history of the chart.

According to Usher's label, Laface/Zomba, the singer's fifth studio album titled Here I Stand (oh, and for those of you who don't know, Here I Stand is also the title of the song Usher wrote and performed for his bride at their second trip to the altar), is slated to be released worldwide this June. The album's first single, Love In This Club is dominating the music charts and making history as well. Soaring from #51 to #1 on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart, the song, which features rapper Young Jeezy and co-written by Usher, has become the best-selling digital song in the country. Entertainment Weekly calls it a 'must' listen, proclaiming that Usher "returns with his magnetic club groove."

The singer is now in the process of promoting his and Tameka's forthcoming album. Yeah, I said that too!

LISTEN TO LOVE IN THIS CLUB.
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GNARLS BARKLEY'S NEW VIDEO, 'RUN' BANNED FROM MTV; SPECIAL EFFECTS COULD CAUSE EPILEPTICS TO SUFFER SEIZURES.

The video for Gnarls Barkley's new single, Run, may feature a cameo from Justin Timberlake, but it's still not quite ready to air on MTV. That's because of its strobe effects, which caused the clip to fail the Harding Test -- guidelines established to prevent TV images from triggering epileptic seizures. However, the Happy-directed video is available on various online outlets, and Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse tells Billboard he's hopeful the situation can be resolved shortly. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but we're having issues. I think [the video] is cool. It works for me. But I'm not necessarily that easily seasick," he says with a laugh. "We can't predict how people are going to interpret it."

Run centers around the fictional public access show City Vibin' and is set in the early '90s. Timberlake appears as the host of the program, on which Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo then perform the track. With its new album, The Odd Couple, nearing its April 8 release date, the group is also rehearsing for summer tour dates.

CHECK OUT GNARLS BARKLEY VIDEO 'RUN' AFTER THE JUMP!

Check out the video below.
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TATYANA ALI NEWS UPDATE + CANDIDS OF HER IN HOLLYWOOD; ACTRESS & SISTER CAMPAIGN FOR BARACK OBAMA.

Above are several candid photos of Tatyana 'Ashley Banks' Ali strolling through the streets of Hollywood after leaving one of the many Oscar Awards swag rooms. Once I saw the pictures, I began wondering what Ali had been up to lately. The last time I saw her she was playing the love interest to Bryton McClure's character, Devon on The Young & The Restless. Through my Internet research, I found out the 29-year-old actress has much more on her plate. Ali is currently on tour with the Mary & Joseph: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told stage play. The play, which also stars Ali's Fresh Prince of Bel Air co-star, James Avery, Anna Maria Horsford (Amen, The Wayans Brothers), David Ramsey (Good News), Clifton David (Amen), Miquel Nunez (Sparks, Life, Juwanna Man) and comedian Guy Torry, is a romantic comedy with music, which reveals the unruly side of relationships, exposes the humorous side of getting hitched and uncovers the drama that goes down when the totally unexpected happens. It also attests to the undeniable power of love and its ability to pull families together in the end despite disasters and their differences. The family-a family-oriented, faith-based retelling of the biblical story is brought to you by the producers of The Cosby Show and Amen. It's not just any story, but the greatest love story ever told.

Check your local Ticketmaster locations to see if the play will hit your city, or somewhere near it, any time soon.

But there's more. Not only has Ali finish recording her sophomore album titled, The Light, which will be distributed later this year independently, the Harvard graduate has also been pounding the concrete while participating in Senator Barack Obama's Presidential election campaign. Below are pics of Ali with her sister/business partner, Anastasia, and actor Hill Harper 'Baracking' the vote in Des Moines, Iowa earlier this month.

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