Friday Facts

The members of Destiny's Child, including Beyonce Knowles, have announced that they'll release their first single in eight years. The single, titled "Nuclear", will appear on the group's compilation album, according to the announcement Beyonce made via her web site, and was produced by Pharrell Williams. The single will be released ahead of the albums January 29 release date. In other Destiny's Child news, Beyonce was named by GQ magazine one of the sexiest women of the twenty-first century. Producer Timbaland announced that he'll be producing Justin Timberlakes comeback album. The two worked together previously, and the album was a smash. Timbaland posted an item regarding Monday morning, so it looks like he has a surprise in store for fans.  No word on when the next project will be released. Singer Alicia Keys will hit the road with Miguel for the "Set The World On Fire Tour", which kicks off in Seattle in March. In other Alicia Keys news, she and Usher have been added to the list of performers who will join President and First Lady Michelle Obama this year's Inaugural Ball. The two R&B stars were announced among the performers at the event, which will also include Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson and Brad Paisley. The ball will take place the night of Barack Obamas inauguration on January 21 at the Washington Convention Center. Several other stars are set to perform at the night event. The bill currently includes John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Mindless Behavior, Nick Cannon, Marc Anthony, the Far East Movement, and the cast of "Glee". Tickets to the event sold out quickly, with a few remaining for campaign volunteers and government. Last year's event included a performance of the Etta James classic "At Last". In theaters this weekend: "Gangster Squad", "A Haunted House" and "Zero Dark Thirty". On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fox, "Undercover Boss", "Last Man Standing" on ABC and "1600  Penn" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Rihanna and Nicki Minaj were big winners at last night's People's Choice Awards. Rihanna beat out Beyonce and Alicia Keys for Best  R&B Artist, while Minaj won Best Hip Hop Artist. Other winners include the film "The Hunger Games", which picked up five trophies. Katy Perry won Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Pop Artist, while actress Sandra Bullock won Favorite Humanitarian. Singer Beyonce will provide the halftime entertainment at this year's super bowl in New Orleans. The pop superstar is sure to put on a show that won't be forgotten anytime soon. Rihanna is set to take the stage at the Grammy awards next month. Having already been nominated for three awards, this will the star's third consecutive performance during music's biggest night. She's been nominated for Best Solo Pop Performance, Best Short Form Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The Grammy Awards will air in February and will be hosted by LL Cool J. Rapper Shawty Lo has finally responded to the criticism regarding his family life. He stated his home life is more stable that it sounds and he's a good father to all of his children. The petition to stop his upcoming reality series before it even airs doesn't seem to phase the Atlanta native either. He says he's providing for his family. Fans looking forward to a G-Unit reunion may not have to wait long. During a recent interview with Billboard.biz, 50 Cent hinted that the crew may ride again. He added that the split wasn't due to personal differences, but everyone having a different agenda and things they wanted to do. 50s next album, "Street King", his last with Interscope Records, is set to hit stores February 26. As the academy award time nears, rumors are swirling about nominees and who's been snubbed. The film "Lincoln" has some Oscar buzz surrounding it, but only time will tell if it picks up any awards. We'll have to wait and see what happens. This year's awards ceremony will be hosted by "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarland. On the tube: "Mobbed" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Last Resort" on ABC and "30 Rock" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Actor/comedian Katt Williams is in jail. He was arrested at his home after being served with a warrant for not showing up for court a few days ago. It remains to be seen if former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight will bail Williams out. Chicago rapper Chief Keef may find himself behind bars as well. His court date has been moved up to Tuesday after prosecutors determined that he may have violated his probation by being seen with a gun during  an interview some time back. Rapper Game took to Twitter to deny reports that he's a stripper. His stepfather put the information out there, but Game says the man was never his stepfather because he never married his mom. Game added that the man is just seeking money. The people fans may want to follow on Instagram are Rihanna and Beyonce. Rihanna posts what she feels, while Beyonce gives fans a behind the scenes look at her life and career. Fans can catch the star on the cover of the latest issue of  GQ magazine. She looks fabulous as usual. An interview with the some time girlfriend of singer Chris Brown will appear in Vibe magazine. She says the relationship between she and Brown is business now, and that although she loves him, she has to move on. More Beyonce news. The singer is set to perform the National Anthem at President Obama's inauguration ceremony on January 21. The pop star is set to join folk/rock icon James Taylor and inaugural "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson for the festivities. Taylor will perform "American The Beautiful" while Clarkson will perform "My Country Tis Of Thee". This isn't the first time the singer has performed at an inauguration. In 2009, the singer performed the Etta James classic "At Last" at the Inaugural Ball while the president and first lady had their first dance. More than 1 million people are expected to show up at this year's inauguration ceremony, which will be held, as per tradition, on the steps of the capital. In the meantime, little sister Solonge will hit the road in support of her latest album. No word on tour dates and places. Singer Trey Songz is being credited with the box office success of "Texas Chainsaw 3D" with some saying most of the receipts have come from women. No comment from the singer.   On the tube: "Stars In Danger: The High Dive" on Fox, "I Get That A Lot" on CBS, "The Middle" on ABC and "Whitney" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

Actor/comedian Katt Williams is a wanted man. A judge has issued a bench warrant after he failed to show up at a hearing for leading police on a three wheel chase some time back. No comment from Williams. Rapper Kanye West is shacking up with a married woman. He and girlfriend Kim Kardashian have reportedly purchased  a new home in Bel Air. Rick Ross rapper/actor. The Maybach Music CEO is set to make his acting debut in the Starz drama series "Magic City". The show follows the Mafia in the 1960's. This makes Ross the perfect candidate for the role. He even made an appearance in a trailer for the new season of the show. Some are now saying Lil Twist is a bad influence on teen sensation Justin Bieber after Bieber was photographed smoking what appeared to be  blunt. The two have been friends for some time and were seen partying together on New Year's Eve. Bieber released a statement saying he's learning and growing and doesn't want to let anyone down. Singer Beyonce is accustomed to being a role model for young girls, but she recently revealed the influence the Atlanta trio The OMG Girls have had on her. In a recent post to her Instagram account, the singer gave the group a shout for inspiring her Instagram handle Babbie Bey. In a video last November for Mylsh TV, the group called the singer one of their idols and counted down " 7 Reasons Beyonce Is A Baddie". Beyonce posted a letter to her Instagram thanking the group for the love and wishing to see them all soon. It looks like the violence that plagued the city of Chicago in 2012 has continued into 2013 and has claimed the life of Chief Keef's stepbrother. According to DNAinfo.com, Ulysses "Chris" Gissendanner was shot in the back of the head on the Far South side of the city on January 2. The 19-year-old was sitting in a car while visiting an uncle when he was fired upon. Gissendanner, who raps under the name YPN BoomTown, is reportedly the stepson of Keef's biological father Alphonzo Cozart. Although police have no motive for the shooting, Cozart stated that he wants his son to be successful and doesn't want the controversies involving Keef to overshadow Gissendanner's murder. On DVD: "Frankenweenie", "Dredd", "House At The End Of The Street" and "Compliance". On the tube: "Raising Hope" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Modern Family" on ABC and "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Memo

The film "Texas Chainsaw 3D" topped the weekend box office, earning over $23 million. "Django Unchained", "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", "Les Miserables" and "Parental Guidance" round out the top five films of the week. Sad news out of the world of hip hop. Rapper Freddie E, who was signed to rapper Tyga's record label committed suicide over the weekend. He took to Twitter to let his feelings regarding his relationship with female rapper Honey Cocaine be known. He wrote he'd rather die than live alone. The last words he wrote were he was sorry.  He was 23-years-old. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have reportedly turned down an offer from a tabloid for first pictures of their child. It also appears that the child won't be seen on "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" after all. Rapper Cassidy is still taking shots and rapper Meek Mill. Cassidy has just released another diss track aimed at Meek Mill after Mill turned down a $100,000 boxing challenge. So far, no response from Mill. If your baby Blue Ivey Carter you get a dad who can shelve out $1 million for special seats at the Barclay Center. That's what rap mogul Jay Z did recently so that he, wife Beyonce and little Blue Ivey can enjoy events at the venue. The Roots and Talib Kweli will honor legendary rocker Prince at a concert at Carnegie Hall in March. The show, the latest in an annual concert series put on by New York entrepreneur Michael Dorf, will raise money for various music education organizations, including Music Unites, the Pinwheel Project and the Center For Arts Education. In addition to The Roots and Talib Kweli, other performers who will interpret Prince's songs include the Blind Boys of Alabama, DeVotchKa, Living Colour, Madeleine Peyroux and more. The concert will take place on March 7. After releasing a mixtape and an EP last year, it looks like rapper Iggy Azalea will not have mentor T.I executive produce her proper debut album after all . She stated in an interview that Tip executive produced her mixtape and the two talked and agreed that she should go in a different direction. Although there's no official release date for the album, she stated she started work on it two weeks ago. On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "The Bachelor" on ABC and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

After a breakout 2012, singer Frank Ocean appears to have gotten 2013 off to a shaky start. According to TMZ, the Odd Future crooner was stopped by police for speeding and having tinted windows. Authorities detected the sent of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Ocean avoided arrest on speeding and drug charges, but was  charged with suspicious behavior with the male passenger in the car. It's unclear what suspicious behavior was and Ocean hasn't commented. In more marijuana news, rapper Snoop Dogg, aka Snoop Lion, says that while he'd never encourage any of his three children to smoke Cannabis, if they came to him, he'd show them the right way to smoke it. He added that he would want them to smoke clean Cannabis. What a great role model. Singer Rita Ora has addressed allegations by a British star that she sleep with rap mogul Jay Z by saying it's ridiculous that anyone would think she'd sleep with him and that the person is just seeking attention. She made similar comments regarding ex-boyfriend Robert Kardashian. Sad news out of the world of hip hop. An up and coming Atlanta rapper was shot and killed on Wednesday night. The rapper posted Instagramed a photo of a threatening message regarding someone wanting him dead. Hopefully, the police will be able to use the item in their investigation. No other information is available. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Rapper Sean Paul has learned that lesson via a lawsuit filed by an ex-lover. The woman, Swiss-born Susanne Persson, claims the reggae singer had her deported from Jamaica and drove her to attempt suicide. Legal documents from the suit, obtained by the New York Post, show an illustration of a tell-all book filled with embarrassing allegations about Paul's personal life. In the book, Persson, alleges among other things that Paul is addicted to cocaine, in connected with several murders in Jamaica, and has trouble maintaining an erection. She also claims that Paul had her removed from the country by bribing police to put her on a plane to Stockholm. She provides a receipt for the plane ticket which was paid for by Paul's promotions company, Healine Entertainment. Before she left Jamaica, Persson says she tried to commit suicide. Paul's lawyer, Tom Taveres-Finson denies Persson's allegations. In theaters this weekend: "Promised Land", "Texas Chainsaw 3D", "The Impossible". On the tube: "College Football" on Fox, "Undercover Boss" on CBS, "Last Man Standing" on ABC and "Go On" on NBC. Make it a weekend!!

Thursday Dish

Love is in the air. "Real Housewives Of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes got engaged on New Year's Eve to ex-husband Greg. He reportedly presented her with champagne and roses when he popped the question. The question now, is whether or not their wedding day will air on an episode of the show. The two are reportedly shopping for their own show, however. Rapper Lil Wayne started the new year with a new tattoo. He reportedly got the word baked tattooed on his forehead. Since news broke about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West expecting a baby, it'll be interesting to see if her divorce is finalized before she gives birth. Another million dollar question is whether the pregnancy and birth will be a part of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians". We'll have to wait and see. One guarantee is that the couple won't wait long to find out the gender of the child. Since Kim's reportedly about six weeks, they'll wait until the 16th week to learn the sex of their child.  A petition has been started to prevent rapper Shawty Lo's new reality series from airing. The show, "All My Baby Mama's", reportedly follows the Atlanta MC and his ten children with eleven women. It's set to air on the Oxygen channel. It's sure to another hot mess of a reality series for sure if it sees the light of day. We'll have to wait and see what happens.  Rapper Lil Flip says he is innocent of the gun and drug possession charges filed against him on Christmas. Police found a AR-15 rifle in his car along with what was thought to be marijuana. He says he has a license to carry the rifle and the drugs were actually Black and Mild cigars. He says he will not plead guilty and will fight the charges in court. J. Cole fans looking forward to picking up a copy of the rapper's sophomore album on January 28 will have to wait a little longer. The North Carolina MC stated during an interview after a performance at the Tao nightclub in Las Vegas. He says he needs more time to get things together. He had hoped to release the album on January 28. January 28 will mark his 28th birthday. On the tube: "Mobbed" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Nashville" on ABC and "30 Rock" on NBC. Happy Thursday!