Photo by Sandra Rose/Getty ImagesAs fans and famous friends of Whitney Houston mourned her February 11 death, many of them expressed that their thoughts and prayers were with her and Bobby Brown's only child together, Bobbi Kristina. The 18-year-old aspiring singer was taken to the hospital for anxiety shortly after Whitney's death, and now there are reports that she's turned to drugs to deal with the loss of her mother. "Whitney's passing is sending Bobbi off the deep end," one source tells Us Weekly, adding that "Bobbi's problems are out of control." According to the magazine, Bobbi Kristina's maternal grandmother Cissy Houston and cousin Dionne Warwick are gravely concerned about her well-being, and loved ones have urged her to enter rehab.
Warner Bros. RecordsBrooklyn rapper Theophilus London will celebrate his birthday this week with a trip to Jamaica, where -- according to his tweets -- he's apparently hanging with pal Solange Knowles. Before skipping town though, London -- who released his first full-length album Timez Are Weird These Days last year -- kicked off the latest installment of the artist showcase Absolut Presents Encore! at New York City night spot Le Baron Chinatown on Tuesday night. During the intimate set, Theophilus performed "Big Spender," which is rumored to be the first single from his upcoming EP Lovers Holiday II: Rose Island. Last month, a video showed him at the studio, working on the track with Harlem rhymer ASAP Rocky. London also ran through some fan favorites including his single "Flying Overseas," which features Solange.
Absolut's concert series will continue at Le Baron Chinatown through May, with more emerging artist performances to be announced.
Facebook.com/MelanieFionaTwo time Grammy Award-winner Melanie Fiona is officially announcing the March 20 release of her sophomore album The MF Life. The Toronto native unveiled the track listing for her new set, which includes writing from her hometown homie Drake, as well as guest features from Melanie's Roc Nation peer J. Cole, along with Nas, John Legend and B.o.B. The producer behind Melanie's #1 hit "It Kills Me," also drops in on The MF Life, as does Amy Winehouse collaborator Salaam Remi, and No ID, who's worked with Kanye West, Jay-Z and Rihanna.
Melanie followers had hoped The MF Life would hit stores in 2011, but delays put the release off-track The anticipation continues though with Melanie's single "4AM," garnering attention. "My fans are loyal and genuine and they're definitely in it for the music," Mel says in a statement. "I'm sticking to my motto of making good music. I just want to get out there and share my music with people."
Check out the official track listing for The MF Life below:
"This Time" featuring J. Cole "4 AM" "Break Down These Walls" "I Been That Girl" "Wrong Side of a Love Song" "Running" featuring Nas "Change the Record" featuring B.o.B "Gone and Never Coming Back" "Bones" "Watch Me Work" "Can't Say I Never Loved You" "L.O.V.E" featuring John Legend
ABC NewsBefore her tragic death, Whitney Houston was excited about the release of the movie Sparkle, which would've marked her return to the silver screen as an actress. But now comes word that Whitney was also planning another movie -- one that would've told her life story.
Actress Meagan Good, who stars in Californication, tells E! Online that she and Whitney were discussing a biopic before her death, and Good would've starred in it. "We were fairly in the beginning stages," Good tells E! Online, noting that she and Whitney were supposed to have met Monday about the project.
Good also reveals that the plan was for the movie to end on a high note. "My feeling is because she has the film Sparkle coming out and she's brilliant in it and she looks beautiful and healthy, my feeling was that's how we should end the movie -- as a new beginning for her," Good toldE!.
Good says it's too soon to start thinking about making the movie, but she says if it did come to pass, she wouldn't attempt to do her own singing in the project. "When people see someone's life story they want to hear that person's voice because they connect with it, in their spirit and their soul," she explained. "So you would have to use her voice."
Sandra Rose/Getty ImagesWith Whitney Houston's death still fresh in fans' minds, her ex-husband may try to revive a memoir he worked on years ago. An unnamed publisher tells The Huffington Post that Bobby Brown shopped a tell-all book in 2008 but didn't draw much interest at the time. However, the publisher says, "Now is the time for a book that details an honest look into the life of Whitney."
A friend of Whitney's believes Bobby would want to write a memoir just so he can make some money. However, The Huffington Post speculates that Bobby might not go ahead with the project out of consideration for the ex-couple's teen daughter, Bobbi Kristina. The report also states that he signed a confidentiality agreement when he divorced Whitney.
Facebook.com/FrenchMontanaOfficialBad Boy's French Montana shares the track with his label boss Diddy on the remix of "Shot Caller," which also includes bars from Rick Ross. "Shawty kinda flashy I could be her sponsor/ Hair like Cassie shoe game is awesome," spits Diddy, who brings Cassie, herself, on the set. The black-and-white clip premiered Tuesday night on BET's 106 & Park. French's debut album, Excuse My French, is expected to hit stores in the spring.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesA Los Angeles judge on Tuesday dismissed concert promoter AEG Live from a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson's father over the King of Pop's passing. The judge cited a law requiring all heirs file a single wrongful-death complaint. Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, has also filed a wrongful-death suit.
AEG Live organized the London concerts Michael was rehearsing for at the time of his death.
Joe Jackson's lawsuit still lists as defendants Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael's death, and Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas, which sold the powerful anesthetic propofol to the doctor. Michael died of acute propofol intoxication in June of 2009.
Also on Tuesday, Los Angeles prosecutors responded to Murray's request to be released from jail while he appeals his case. According to TMZ.com, prosecutors argued that he could pose a danger to the public if he were to be released.
BeyonceOnline.comBeyonce turned heads when, earlier this month, she hit the town for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The new mom showed off her curves in a form-fitting red dress, leading many people to note her figure, and wonder: "How does she do it?" Reports say Beyonce has had her celebrity trainer, Marco Borges, move in with her. He's said to push her through two-a-day workouts, and the intense sessions reportedly have already helped Bey shed 14 of the 40 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. A source says, "Beyonce and Marco are up at 5 a.m. for a two-hour workout, and they do it again at 5 p.m. They do a mix of cardio, Pilates, plyometrics, yoga and, of course, dance."
The source adds that Beyonce has been careful about what she eats, and she's "living on protein shakes, egg-white omelettes, pineapple chunks and lots of ice-cold water." Beyonce reportedly is excited about losing even more of her bay weight. "She's exhausted but totally dedicated," the source explains. "Beyonce's vowed to have a better body than ever before… and she's a woman of her word."
TheRealSWV.comSWV is back with their first new music video in almost 15 years. The trio released their Derek Blanks-directed visuals for "Co-Sign," a hit single off the group's upcoming album I Missed Us, due out April 17. Coko, Taj and Lelee get cozy with their on-screen sweethearts in the new clip, which also features them recording tracks at the studio. On Monday, the ladies tweeted about the progress of their new disc, writing, "[SWV] Is Heading to Miami this week to finish up the album! #IMISSEDUS."
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesDiddy has revealed the details of his latest venture, and it's called REVOLT -- a real-time, socially connected music television network that will be broadly distributed on Comcast Cable systems. "Marked by this partnership with Comcast, my hope is that this new network will spark a revolution in entertainment and encourage other media and communications companies to bring REVOLT to their audiences," Diddy says in a statement. His company Bad Boy Entertainment has entered into an agreement with Comcast to launch the network in 2013.
"The revolution will be televised! The revolution will be televised!," Diddy says in a video announcement. "I grew up watching BET, and MTV, and HBO and NBC, and I had a dream. I had a dream that one day I would get a chance, an opportunity to show my perspective, coming from a musical standpoint." The media mogul goes on to declare that REVOLT will be the #1 name for music in television. He also goes on to tell new artists that the channel will give them a chance to show their art in a way that's raw and uncensored, "not destined by the charts, and who's pop."
MTV/Vince Bucci/PictureGroupThe "will they or won't they" speculation has come to an end -- Jay-Z and Kanye West are officially taking their Watch the Throne tour to Europe. The Grammy Award-winning duo will kick off their over-the-top road show on May 20 at London's 02 Arena, and now there's only one big question left: How many times will Jay and 'Ye perform "Ni**as in Paris" when they hit the stage in the City of Lights two nights in a row? At last count, the guys tore into the fan favorite a whopping 11 times in a row during their final North American tour date in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Tickets for the upcoming shows go on sale this week. Check out the European tour dates below:
5/20 -- London, UK O2 Arena 5/24 -- Zurich, Switzerland, Zurich Hallenstadion 5/26 -- Herning, Denmark, Jyske Bank Boxen 5/28 -- Oslo, Norway, Telenor Arena 5/29 -- Stockholm, Sweden, Globe Arena 6/1 -- Paris, France, Palais Omnisport de Bercy 6/2 -- Paris, France, Palais Omnisport de Bercy 6/3 -- Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis 6/5 -- Frankfurt, Germany, Festhalle 6/8 -- Dublin, Ireland, O2 Arena 6/11 -- Manchester, UK, Manchester Arena 6/13 -- Birmingham, UK, LG Arena
Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImageWhitney Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, reveals in an open letter to her late daughter that soon after her birth, "the Holy Spirit told me that you would not be with me long and I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years." Referring to Whitney by her nickname, Cissy writes, "God said it's time Nippy; your work is done."
In the letter -- which appeared in the program for Whitney's funeral on Saturday -- Cissy shares that her daughter's death did not come without warning. "For two months now I have been depressed, crying, lonesome and sad not knowing why," Cissy writes. She goes on to reveal that on February 11, before she learned of Whitney's tragic death, Cissy heard her doorbell ring. She went to answer it, but there was no one there. The bell kept ringing with no one in sight, so Cissy reached out to the building's concierge. "He checked the cameras and told me that no one was there," writes Cissy. "You promised me you were coming to spend time with me after the Grammys. I believe the spirits allowed you to come after all.
In the final paragraph of the letter, Cissy writes, "How I love you Nippy and how I miss you, your beautiful smile, your special little things you used to say to me and sometimes you'd call just to say 'hi Mommie, I love you so much,' I loved you so much more."
Facebook.com/RihannaIt's Rihanna's party, and she'll invite Chris Brown to make music with her if she wants to. When the stars took to Twitter to unveil their collaborations on remixes of Ri-Ri's "Birthday Cake," and Chris' "Turn Up the Music" on Monday night, plenty of the singers' fans raved about the reunion, one tweeting "Rihanna and Chris Brown have moved on, why can't the world?," and another directing Rihanna to "...get back with chris riri !"
Casual observers like comedian Paul Chowdhry, joked about the matter, referring to Chris' guilty plea in 2009 to assaulting Rihanna, his then-girlfriend. "Unless Rihanna and Chris Brown's new track is called, 'If you like it then you shouldn't have put your fist on it' I’m not interested," Paul wrote. Others weren't so flippant about the exes' collaboration, and threatened to yank their support for Ri, who celebrated her 24th birthday with the new releases. One Twitter user wrote, "i should unfollow rihanna...im not here for her no more," and another wrote, "This Rihanna/Chris Brown collaboration is one of the worst ideas i've heard in LIFE let alone music. Well done Rihanna. Good message."
Since the remixes hit the Web, neither Chris nor Rihanna have responded directly to the criticism, but Ri retweeted blogger Perez Hilton's message: "GENIUS!!!! @Rihanna and @ChrisBrown just mind-f**ked the world!!!! ..."
Check out more reactions below:
"It's sad, but I'm starting to wonder if the Rihanna and Chris Brown thing was all a giant publicity stunt, and they fooled us all."
"How are rihanna and Chris brown back together? They've collided on a song? Pretty sure he has a girlfriend aswell lolololol"
"Who cares if Rihanna and Chris Brown made a song together? She can't hate him forever."
"Rihanna, for the sake of women worldwide, don't not embrace Chris Brown. He may be a good oke but get that people follow your lead."
"I'm so sick of hearing about Rihanna and Chris Brown getting back together again. Who cares? Broads get smacked up everyday & go right back."
Atlantic RecordsWith just a week until the release of her new album, Estelle has released the remix to her hit song "Thank You." Busta Rhymes jumps in on the track, kicking it off with a guest verse. The original song, co-written by Akon and produced by Jerry Wonda, will appear on Estelle's new disc, All of Me, when it hits stores on February 28. The album includes features from Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Janelle Monae and Rick Ross. Check out the track listing below:
"The Life" "International (Serious)" featuring Chris Brown & Trey Songz "You and I" "Love the Way We Used To" "Cold Crush" "Don't Break It" "Break My Heart" featuring Rick Ross "Thank You" "Who We Are" "Wonderful Life" "Found My Way…" "Back to Love" "Blue Skies" "Speak Ya Mind" "Do My Thing" featuring Janelle Monáe
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty ImagesMariah Carey was among the first to tweet a heartfelt eulogy for Whitney Houston a week ago when the singer passed away, and Carey later canceled an appearance on Good Morning America because she said she was still mourning for her late friend. After attending the star's funeral on Saturday, Mariah finally made her appearance on Good Morning America Tuesday, during which she spoke about Whitney.
At first, she declared herself "almost incapable of talking about this, still," but then, she told ABC's Robin Roberts, "We all loved her. We were all inspired by her, and we all loved her. May she rest in peace, and her legend's gonna go on forever."
Asked what it was like to work with Whitney on their hit duet "When You Believe," Mariah said, "It was great and I don't think people could ever understand our relationship. There was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning, and then we did the duet and we became friends. I saw her toward the end and...I loved her." Mariah later tweeted a link to a YouTube video featuring a montage of her and Whitney singing together.
Mariah also talked about her husband Nick Cannon, who recently announced plans to quit his radio show after struggling with health issues that included kidney failure and blood clots in his lungs. "Nick is doing well," said Mariah. "The best thing, I think, was the choice that he made to leave the radio show and just focus on [America's Got Talent] and Up All Night."
She added, "The thing is, he's a young, healthy person and it's about changing the lifestyle...it's just a lifestyle choice, and an awareness of what can really happen to you no matter how young or in great shape you are So I think he's gonna, like he always does, turn something that happened into a positive thing."
The topic of lifestyle choices also fit neatly into Mariah's main reason for the GMA appearance, which was to promote a new heart health initiative that she's involved in, through Jenny Craig and the American Heart Association. She also debuted her new PSA that she co-directed and starred in, in which she says, "Did you know that every 34 seconds, someone has a heart attack? Every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke. But it doesn't have to be that way. Every day, there's hope...Get serious about your heart and your health."
Mariah also revealed that she's working on some new music -- specifically, she mentioned a song that she wants to get done next week. "It just happened and I feel like it's appropriate for the moment right now," she said.
ElektraA sex tape allegedly featuring the late Nate Dogg is being shopped around to some porn studios, but TMZ reports that so far, there have been no takers. Nate, whose vocals laced tracks from West Coast rappers like Warren G,Tupac and Snoop Dogg, died in March 2011 due to complications from multiple strokes. The five-minute clip which supposedly features him, is said to have been shot several years ago, and allegedly shows Nate getting intimate with an unidentified woman as music from Luther Vandross plays in the background.
Photo by Danielle Levitt and Rollacoaster magazineFashionista and singer Solange Knowles gushes over her sister Beyonce's new baby girl in the latest issue ofRollacoaster magazine. "I think babies in general are so lovable -- and my sister's baby, Blue, is so beautiful. She is really a beautiful little baby," Solange tells the magazine. Speaking about her new duties as an aunt, Solange says, "It's very different to being a mother, but there's still that sort of magnetic bond and love that you can't even put words on to describe." The younger Knowles sister, who is mom to 7-year-old Julez, says, "It's really special to have a niece because I have a son, so I get to have a little girl too."
Despite Solange's experience in the mommy department, she won't be dishing any advice to her big sis. "I think it's really important for every mother to find their own way," Solange explains. "I think it's actually the most annoying thing when you're a new mum and you're getting so much advice from other mothers!" Solange says that like all new moms, Bey will have to feel it out for herself. And if things get tough, Solange is always just a telephone call away -- "she's my best friend and we talk at least every other day," Solange says of Beyonce.
Lately, things have been pretty non-stop for Solange. She's been DJ'ing events, and gearing up for the release of her new album later this year. Luckily, growing up with busy Beyonce in the picture has given Solange a great education on how to manage a demanding schedule. Solange says, "She was and is such a role model, but I think more so it was an insane learning process for me to have a big sister like that -- to be able to see the good, the bad and everything in between that comes with fame and success, and to know what I was getting myself into."
Solange says she's made a conscious effort to stay "low key," and she doesn't seem eager to live in the spotlight 24-7. "I really enjoy my privacy and being able to walk my son to school every morning and pick him up every afternoon," she says. "I know that I couldn't do that if I was at the next level -- privacy, as you know, it just doesn't belong to you anymore."
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesThough Aretha Franklin was unable to attend Whitney Houston's funeral for health reasons, she saluted the late singer over the weekend both in concert and in a column published by the New York Post.
Aretha missed Whitney's funeral in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday due to what she described as "terrible leg spasms and locked leg muscles." However, she felt well enough to perform later that day at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, where she sang a piano-driven version of "I Will Always Love You." She said, "We'll always remember her kindness, her grace, her smile, her dynamic performances."
The following day, the New York Post published Aretha's memories of Whitney. She recalled her first meeting with Whitney, when the latter was just nine years old. Aretha wrote, "I didn't know then that she had aspirations as a singer, but I should have guessed."
Aretha wrote that she "fell" for Whitney's voice after hearing "Saving All My Love For You," and made note of Whitney's "quick wit" when they worked together in 1989 on the song "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be."
Aretha concluded her column by writing, "Whitney was one of the brightest stars in our universe, and she passed too soon. I’d like to caution other young artists in the business as my father cautioned me and I would have liked to caution Whitney: No matter how successful you are, one day the applause is going to die down. The amens and the hallelujahs will be silent and even the money will stop flowing. When that happens, you’ve got to know who you are and what you’re going to do."
Whitney's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, also paid tribute to Whitney on the day of her funeral. Bobby, who left the funeral early, claiming later on that security needlessly asked him and his children to change seats multiple times, performed with NewEdition Saturday night in Connecticut, telling the audience, "Blessings to my ex-wife, Whitney Houston. I love you."
Pastor Joe Carter, who is with the church where the funeral was held, says Bobby left the funeral after he brought too many guests into the area of the church reserved for family members. He says, "We asked him to stay but to tell his company, those who were in the party, we were going to get seats for them, but he categorically said no and he left."'
The ReverendMarvin Winans, who delivered the eulogy, is proud of how many people turned out for the funeral. He says, "Love is always a choice. People don't have to be nice. People don't have to show up. There would have been a million excuses and all of them would have been acceptable."
Whitney was laid to rest Sunday at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, where her father is also buried.
ABC/ Ida Mae AstuteSeveral dresses that belonged to the late Whitney Houston will go on the auction block in late March. Julien's Auctions, based in Beverly Hills, has announced that its "Hollywood Legends" auction will also include earrings that Houston wore while shooting her 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Though Houston died just over a week ago, Darren Julien, the owner of Julien's Auctions, says the timing of the sale is a coincidence. He says, "This is an auction that we've been planning for over six months so some of the items we've had in our auction and consigned to us prior to her passing." He says the items in the auction from The Bodyguard set were consigned by an anonymous person who worked with Houston on the movie.
Julien expects the dresses to raise at least a couple of thousand dollars each. Other items in the auction are expected to fetch much more than that -- for example, a Batman costume from the 1992 film Batman Returns is expected to bring in between 60 thousand and 80 thousand dollars.
The "Hollywood Legends" auction will also feature items connected to Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Charlton Heston, among others. The live/online auction will be held March 31 and April 1.
Julien says his company will auction off more Whitney items in the future. He says, "We have over 50 requests from people wanting to consign other items, but it's past our catalog deadline, so we'll put those in a future auction."
Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty ImagesRick Ross has been crowned this year's hottest MC in the game by MTV News, which began rolling out its top-ten list last week. The Maybach Music Group boss beat out rising stars like Drake and Nicki Minaj -- who landed at #2 and #4 respectively -- for the top spot, and left rap titans like Jay-Z and Kanye West -- who came in at #3 and #6 -- in his dust.
"I just got the news that I was voted the game's Hottest MC, and man, it really means a lot to me, of course, but it's an honor," Rozay tells MTV News. "It's something I've been watching, something I've been a fan of forever. Of course, MTV, they run the game. MMG, we're here. Shout-out to the whole team."
Ross is noted in part for his quick comeback after suffering two seizures back in October. Referring to the health scare, one MTV writer explains, "We thought it was going to make him fall back completely -- but he came back and hit us with [mixtape] Rich Forever." The free digital download boasted a bevy of all-star features, including Nas and Pharrell, and bolstered the careers of Maybach Music artists Meek Mill and Wale.
Even with his fifth studio album delayed, MTV notes that Ross still had a hand in some of 2011's hottest songs. "Whether on his own singles ('You the Boss,' 'I Love My Bitches') or on tracks that he was featured on, the M-I-Yayo MC turned in multiple unforgettable performances," the article reads, pointing to Meek's single "Ima Boss" and Lil Wayne's "John" along with DJ Khaled's "I'm on One," as shining examples of Ross' hot collaborations.
MTV highlights Ross' comeback and collabos, along with some successful branding moves, as contributing to his Hottest MC title. Check out the full Hottest MCs in the Game VII list below:
1. Rick Ross 2. Drake 3. Kanye West 4. Nicki Minaj 5. Lil Wayne 6. Jay-Z 7. Meek Mill 8. Big Sean 9. Wiz Khalifa 10. Wale
Warner Bros. RecordsBrooklyn rapper Theophilus London will celebrate his birthday this week with a trip to Jamaica, where -- according to his tweets -- he's apparently hanging with pal Solange Knowles. Before skipping town though, London -- who released his first full-length album Timez Are Weird These Days last year -- kicked off the latest installment of the artist showcase Absolut Presents Encore! at New York City night spot Le Baron Chinatown on Tuesday night. During the intimate set, Theophilus performed "Big Spender," which is rumored to be the first single from his upcoming EP Lovers Holiday II: Rose Island. Last month, a video showed him at the studio, working on the track with Harlem rhymer ASAP Rocky. London also ran through some fan favorites including his single "Flying Overseas," which features Solange.
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