Wednesday Roundup

Rapper Nicki Minaj was recently involved in a dispute at a  Dallas hotel. The rapper and a unidentified gentleman were seen arguing, after which Minaj went to her room. The gentleman appeared at her room where the argument continued. The gentleman was gone when police arrived and Minaj was left with a busted lip. She refused to press charges. It's rumored that the gentleman was either a current or ex-boyfriend of the Young Money artist, although it hasn't been confirmed. Rapper DMX has earned himself an extended stay in jail. The former Ruff Ryders rapper failed a drug test. It's unclear how much more time he'll have to serve. Here's hoping he gets his life back on track soon. Inglewood CA rap group Cali Swag District celebrated the release of their debut album "The Kickback" yesterday. The moment was bittersweet for the group as they mourn the lost of group member Montae "M-Bone" Talbert. Fans will recall the rapper was killed in a drive by shooting in front of a Inglewood CA liquor store. The Inglewood Police Department is still investigating the incident and ask that anyone with information regarding the shooting come forward. Foxy Brown's rear is in the clear. New York State Supreme Court Justice John Walsh dropped charges against Brown that she mooned a neighbor during an altercation. Arlene Raymond previously filed charges against Brown after a 2007 altercation where Brown reportedly hit Raymond in the face with her blackberry. Well, the cat fight continued when Raymond accused Brown of calling her a dirty b and dropping her panties to reveal her bare bottom. The trial for violating a protective order was to begin Tuesday in Brooklyn, but because Raymond refused to testify, the judge dismissed the charges. Brown's attorney plans to sue the city, police department and the Brooklyn District Attorney for wrongfully persecuting his client. After a six year absence, rapper Missy Elliott is ready to make a comeback. The rapper is working on an upcoming album "Block Party".  She is working with long time collaborator Timberland. The album is slated for a September release, although it has been pushed back a few times. It's great to see the rapper getting back in the game. CBS will announce that actor Ted Danson will take over for Laurence Fishburne for the 12th season of CSI. He will play the CSI supervisor for the grave shift after heading the crime lab in Portland. There's been no word on when the season will begin. The competition continues tonight on "So You Think You Can Dance". On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "Big Brother" on CBS, "Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" and "Minute To Win It" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

Concert promoter Live Nation claims that Matthew Knowles, father of singer Beyonce Knowles, stole money from the singers last tour. Beyonce's financial team has done a audit of  the books to confirm if the allegation is true. Matthew Knowles, meanwhile, has asked  a judge for permission to have a separate team search to determine where the allegation came from. It appears that the much rumored Destiny's Child reunion probably won't happen after all. Rapper Bow Wow  mentioned to Russell Simmons that his previous suicidal thoughts were a result of hanging out and partying at an early age. He says once he became old enough to do so, it was as if he had nothing left. The recent birth of his daughter has changed his outlook. Fans will be seeing more of Rihanna. The singer has inked a deal with Armani to model its underwear and jeans line. There's been no word on when the ads will appear. Lil Wayne fans will be happy to know that the rapper has put the finishing touches on his next release, "Tha Carter 4", and the album will hit stores on August 29. The rapper recently complained about beats he was sent by producers saying that everyone needed to "step it up". It looks like everyone has taken heed and the album is in the can. Actress Hallie Berry is one of a few actresses being considered to play Aretha Franklin in a upcoming biopic about the singer's life. Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia are the other two possibilities. There's been no official announcement regarding when the film will begin shooting or when it will hit theaters. Attorney Ashutosh Joshi, lawyer for troubled rapper Gucci Mane, confirmed that the rapper has been released from prison. The rapper was released from Fulton County Jail at 4:35 am. The rapper took to his Twitter account to greet fans and announce the time and place of a welcome home party. The Atlanta rapper will have to appear in court again, however. He will appear in court on August 15 to face charges stemming from an incident earlier this year where he allegedly pushed a woman out of his Hummer. For those unaware, VH1 kicked off its "Album Versaries" with an in depth look at Jay Zs debut album "Reasonable Doubt". Former business partner Dame Dash recalled how much faith he had in Jay Z and the album, although the two hardly see eye to eye these days. The two part documentary was entertaining and insightful for fans of Hova. It you asked west coast rapper Xzibit if he's into planking, the answer would be a resounding no. The rapper took to Twitter to let followers know that the craze has its roots in slavery. Planking calls for players to lie face down with their bodies full flat and hands to their side, in a seemingly impossible or unlikely position. The more difficult the position the better, and the pictures must be posted on the internet. Xzibit says he doesn't care where followers lay, he just wants them to know where planking came from. Another drama filled episode of "The Bachelorette" aired last night, and it remains to be seen who will when bachelorette Ashley's heart. On DVD: "Rango" and "The Lincoln Lawyer". On the tube: "2011 MLB All-Star Game" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Wipeout" on ABC and "America's Got Talent" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Friday Facts

Rapper Nicki Minaj cleared up the rumor that the leaked track "We Miss You" is a song dedicated to her murdered cousin. She said the song was done well over a year ago, and is an unauthorized leak. Pictures have surfaced of rapper Wiz Khalifa apparently purposing to girlfriend Amber Rose. There's been no announcement regarding a wedding between the two. Couple alert; Tyrese Gibson and Whitney Houston. The two reportedly met at a pre-Grammy party and have been quietly dating since. Jill Scott fans will be happy to know that the singer will be hitting the road on her Blockparty Tour. The tour states on July 26. Just when it looked like the beef between Beanie Sigel and Jay Z was over, it seems to be heating up again. Sigel says after he was released from prison in 2005, he received a lucrative offer from 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit. Sigel was still contractually signed with Def Jam, where Jay Z was president at the time. The two talked about the offer, to which Hova responded that he'd see what he could do. According to Sigel, that turned into another 2 years. Previously, Sigel recanted what some assumed was an apology for disparaging remarks made about Hova.  He said he feels the way he feels and still feels that way. Hopefully, the feud will end soon. Lil Wayne wants to have his next release "Tha Carter 4" in stores as soon as possible, but there's one thing holding him back. Bad beats. During a recent interview with XXL magazine, Wayne complained about the beats he's been receiving from producers. He stated everyone needs to "step it up". Wayne approved production can be heard on "6 Foot, 7 Foot" and "John", helmed by Bangladesh and Polow Da Don. "Tha Carter 4" is scheduled to hit stores on August 29. Lil Wayne will also appear on the July/August cover of XXL magazine, which will hit newsstands on July 12. The reality show "Love & Hip Hop" has added a new cast member. Dip Set member Julez Santana love Kimbella will join the cast of hip hop lady loves as the show starts taping its second season. The model says the two met over Twitter. They have a 10-month-old son together. She stated in an interview that her focus is being a singer and actress. Let's hope that means Santana is preparing something for fans as well. The CBS hit "Big Brother" has returned, as most fans know, with enough drama to keep them glued to their television sets. Only time will tell who will win the grand prize. In theaters this weekend: "Zookeeper" and "Horrible Bosses". On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "Flashpoint" on CBS, "Shark Tank" on ABC and "Friday Night Lights" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Sandra Rose is at it again. She now claims that as she was posting pictures of herself and her new beau, actress Tichina Arnold came out of a closet from nowhere. It's unclear what the real beef between the two is, or if there is one. Stay tuned. Despite her record labels doubts, Beyonce's latest release "4", has landed at the number one spot on the charts. The album sold over 30 thousand copies in its first week of release. She is the third artist, and the second woman to achieve the feet. Both Brittany Spears and DMX landed at number one as well. A Atlanta club owner is out $10,000 dollars. It's due to arranging a welcome home party for rapper Gucci Mane, which was scheduled while the rapper was still serving time. There apparently was some confusion regarding the planned event. The rapper will reportedly be released later this week. Lil Wayne paid Ashanti a surprise visit while she was hard at work on her next release. While there's been no announcement regarding a collaboration between the two, it's likely they will do something together. Currently riding high on the charts with the hit "My Last", Detroit rapper Big Sean is a star on the rise. He says he plans to release another album in a year and another after that. He's currently doing dates on the Rolling Papers Tour with Wiz Khalifa, and enjoying the success of his debut album "Finally Famous". He certainly has become one of the biggest artists in hip hop in some time.  Despite some past alleged drama, producer Timberland stated in an interview that he's willing to work with friend Ginuwine again. He says he loves Ginuwine and he'd do it for musics sake. He also went on to say that the pairs past problems were due to outsiders interfering with their relationship. Let's hope the two do get back into the studio together again soon. Rapper Ghostface Killa has been named in  a lawsuit stemming from his 2000 album "Supreme Clientele". The album, regarded as a Wu Tang classic, used the theme song from the 1966 television cartoon series "Iron Man". The songs composer Jaques Urbont says the rapper didn't get clearance to use the song or properly credit him in liner notes. He's seeking millions in damage. There's been no word on a settlement. Another exciting episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" aired last night with Carmen Electra as a guest judge. The contestants danced for votes and the grand prize. Tune in to see who goes home. On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Wipeout" on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Sad news. Nicholas Telemaque, cousin of rapper Nicki Minaj,  was murdered Sunday night. The young man was shot several times in the torso as he was leaving C PAC in East Flatbush Brooklyn. No other details are available, and authorities are still investigating. Minaj took to Twitter to mourn the lost. Several celebrities, including Jordin Sparks tweeted condolences to Minaj. Police are asking that if anyone has any information that will help in the case to please come forward. Rapper Eminem has added yet another honor to his awards list. He's become the first artist to sell over one million copies of  a digital album. His "Recovery" album was the album that won the honor. Pictures of Drake and Rihanna are still circulating, causing some to speculate regarding the nature of their relationship. There's been no announcement regarding the matter. Karrine "Superhead" Steffans and Darius McCrary are still butting heads. It appears that although the relationship has ended, the two have had a war of words over the internet. Steffans reportedly wrote a letter to McCrary regarding a Twitter post about her. Only time will tell how long the back and forth war of words will continue. While looking past his recent label drama, rapper 50 Cent is hard at work on his fifth album. In a recent interview, the rapper stated that he already has 43 tracks in the can. While the album's final track list is still being settled, the New York MC promises collaborations with Just Blaze, Boi - 1da and Alex Da Kid. A Cardiak produced track "Outlaw" hit the web. The new album, formerly known as "Black Magic", will be 50's first since "Before I Self Destruct". He also promised a collaboration with his mentor Eminem. After serving time for shoving  a female passenger from his vehicle, Gucci Mane will be released from prison later this week. Previous reports that he had been released over the weekend were proven false. He has been serving time in a Georgia prison since April. Here's hoping when he's released he gets his life back on track. It appears that the members of the Atlanta rap group Outkast have big plans for 2011. Both Big Boi and Andre 3000 are planning solo albums and also plan to have a group album in stores next year. The last release from the group was "Speaker Box: The Love Below". It went on to top the charts and won the group a Grammy in 2004 for Album of the Year. Be sure to tune in to "The Bachelorette" as Ashley continues her search for true love. The competition continues on "So You Think You Can Dance" as well. On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "Undercover Boss" on CBS, "The Middle" on ABC and "Minute To Win It" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

The film "Transformer: Dark of the Moon" topped the holiday weekend box office earning over $97 million dollars. "Cars 2", "Bad Teacher", "Larry Crowne", and "Monte Carlo" round out the top five films of the week.Comedian Kat Williams found himself in a strange situation recently. He was traveling on his tour bus when the bus hit a dog. The problem was, the dog was a police officer. The dog died of its injuries and the comedian gave the department a pooch he had purchased. Matthew Knowles, father of singer Beyonce Knowles, has confirmed that their will be a Destiny's Child reunion. He says the ladies will head into the studio to record a new album, although there has been no announcement regarding a release date. Both Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland have new releases in stores. Rapper/producer Missy Elliott received a special birthday gift at a party thrown in her honor at Santo in Hallandale Beach FL. Rapper Trina took the stage to perform Missy's "Get Your Freak On". The two have been friends throughout their careers, despite various beefs between female artists in hip hop. Missy Elliott recently appeared on VH1's "Behind The Music" and discussed her battle with Graves disease. On DVD: "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Special Edition" and "Sucker Punch". On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Wipeout" on ABC and "America's Got Talent" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Friday Facts

Model Amber Rose is now claiming that she is losing modeling jobs due to the nude photos of her that hit the internet last week. The photos were sent to Nicki Minaj's boyfriend, whom she blames for sending the photos out. In the meantime, Minaj took to her Twitter account to take the high road on the matter. Eminem and Lil Wayne have added yet another milestone to their list of honors. They have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most Facebook fans. One post from Weezy received of 600,000 responses. Los Angeles seems to be the place to catch celebrities slipping these days. Music producer Mars was robbed at gun point near a music video shoot for the Game's new single "Pot O Gold" featuring Chris Brown on Tuesday. The producer was sitting in his car with another person when two male assailants approached, brandished weapons, and got away with $12,000 in cash and jewelry. Brown and Game were not involved in the robbery, which had no additional witnesses. Mars may have walked unaccompanied to his car parked a block away from the secured area of the video shoot. Fans of the hit show "The Voice" will be happy to know that the four judges will return to the show for another season. The show received high ratings with it's contestants competing for cash and a recording contract. As mentioned, Javier Colon was the winner and received $100,000 and a recording contract. The new season of "The Voice" will begin in 2012.  As mentioned previously, Essence magazine heads to New Orleans with it's music festival each year. Beginning today and wrapping on Independence Day, performers will be in heavy rotation on five different stages. This years line up includes a mixture of the old and new school, as New Edition, Boys 2 Men and Mint Condition all reunite. If that isn't enough, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle will perform along with MC Lyte. Fantasia, Dwele and Charlie Wilson will also be on hand to keep the party going. Dancer Miranda Maleski was given the boot on last night's "So You Think You Can Dance", much to the dismay of the studio audience. The judges say the decision wasn't an easy one to make, considering the performances put on during the night. Tune in next week as the competition continues. In theaters this weekend: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", "Larry Crowne" and "Monte Carlo". On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "Flashpoint" on CBS, "Shark Tank" on ABC and "Friday Night Lights" on NBC. Make it a weekend!