Friday Facts

Rapper Lil Kim is back in the studio, and she's brought a friend with her. The Queen Bee has reunited with 50 Cent working on new music. She tweeted about the studio work recently. Fans will recall the last time the two collaborated was on the hit "Magic Stick". They had a falling out shortly after the success of the song. They reunited for the G-Unit track "Wanna Lick", which was conceived as a sequel. In August, Kim and 50 performed "Magic Stick" live for the first time in Perth, Australia. Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy has returned to the top of the charts. His fourth studio album, "Thug Motivation: 103 Hustlerz Ambition", topped the Billboard 200, selling over 233,000 units in it's first week of sale. The album, his first since 2008's "Recession", features guest appearances from Jay Z, Andre 3000, T.I., Jill Scott, Lil Wayne and others. The deluxe edition of the album features a documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Fans take note. Big Sean recently confirmed in an interview that he and his G.O.O. D.  Music labelmates will be heading to London to work on a project together. He says Kanye West, John Legend, Common, Pusha T. and the other artists on the label are working on the project and it should hit stores this spring. That's wonderful news for those waiting on a collaboration from the artists. Although Maybach Music may be riding high on the charts, one artist on the label isn't too happy with the way the label has handled his career. Rapper Pill, signed by owner Rick Ross, took to Twitter to voice his frustrations with the way the label has handled his career by saying he had a hit and has had no television or radio airplay. Fans soon flooded his time line with shout outs. It doesn't appear that that will be enough to make the MC feel better about his label. Rappers T.I. and 50 Cent have buried the  hatchet between them. Fans will recall that 50 took to Twitter to state that  he believed that T.I.'s wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle should have taken the wrap for the drug charge that sent him to prison. T.I then made his feelings about the comments known in a Vibe magazine article. The two have mutual friends and settled their differences over the phone. Hopefully, the conflict has now been resolved. As the year comes to an end, many stories made headlines this year, among them, the death of Osama Bin Laden, Al Queada leader responsible for the 911 attacks. On the culture side of things, the deaths of Amy Winehouse and Dwight "Heavy D" Myers were among the most shocking of the year. On the lighter side, Beyonce announcing that she and husband Jay Z were expecting their first child together at the MTV Video Awards stole the show and broke records on the internet. Only time will tell what 2012 has in store for all. On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fox, "A Gifted Man" on CBS, "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" on ABC and "Chuck" on NBC. Happy New Year!

Thursday Dish

The drama between Dion Sanders and his soon to be ex-wife Pilar is getting nastier by the day. Mrs Sanders claims she wasn't aware that Mr Sanders had filed for divorce until seeing it on TMZ.com. Meanwhile, her stepdaughter has blasted her, calling her a gold digging b****. Her stepdaughter also says the only thing Pilar wanted to do with her father is appear on reality television shows with him. Stay tuned as it's anyone's guest where things will go from here. The evidence against rapper Soulja Boy has been turned over to the AFT. Fans will recall that the rapper was arrested some time back after being stopped in a car that contained guns, marijuana and cash inside. He was charged with possession of drugs and firearms, which is a felon. There's no word on a court date, however. You know you have a wealthy father when he's able to shut down Disney Land for you. Mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs recently shut down Disney Land to throw a party for his twin daughters. No doubt the party was one they won't soon forget. Fans of the hit reality show "Love & Hip Hop" will be happy to know that Chrissy and beau Jim Jones have gotten engaged. No word on a wedding date. Meanhwhile, castmate Erica Mena is now slamming VH1 for airing the cat fight between she and Kimbella Vanderhee claiming it showed her as the bad guy.  She's asked that the clip not be aired, but of course, that won't happen. Rapper Nicki Minaj has reportedly purchased a brand new Bentley for her long time boyfriend, but he claims he purchased the vehicle with his own money. For fans who may be unaware, rap magazine The Source recently revealed it's year-end issue, which features Rick Ross and Big Sean on twin covers. The magazine named Ross Man of the Year, while naming Big Sean Rookie of the Year. The two discuss the remarkable, yet perilous year they've had. Ross discusses his hospitalization for extreme exhaustion, while Sean discusses his sexual harassment charges. Musically, Ross was featured on some of the year's biggest hits including DJ Khaled's "I'm The One" and Meek Mill's "I'm A Boss" He also saw his Maybach Music Group become a hip hop powerhouse thanks to his own success and that of his artists Meek and Wale. Meanwhile, Big Sean exceeded expectations with his debut "Finally Famous". The album featured the hits "Marvin and Chardonnay", featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash and "My Last", featuring Chris Brown. The December/January issue of The Source is on newsstands now. Congratulations to singer John Legend are in order. The singer proposed to his model girlfriend while on vacation. No word on a wedding date as of yet. On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Tuesday Tales

The suspect in the murder of rapper Slim Dunkin is now in police custody. The gentleman turned himself into authorities after a warrant was issued for him due to concern for his safety. There's no word on if and when a trial will take place. As mentioned previously, the two rappers reportedly got into a fist fight over a piece of candy that lead to Slim Dunkin being shot and killed. Rapper Young Buck is for sale. As mentioned previously, the rapper attempted to legally wrangle out of his contract by filing Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy. The judge in the case changed the matter to Chapter 7. His assets will be liquidated and creditors have listed a debt amount of 11.5 million. The Tennessee native claimed he was close to signing a deal with Cash Money Records, but it's unclear if that will happen, or what will be done to pay off his debt. In addition to his financial problems, he's also a convicted felon with a possession of fire arm and ammunition looming over him as well. He goes to court on the matter in April.  At any rate, here's hoping everything's settled soon.  Animal rights organization PETA has named singer Janet Jackson it's grinch of the year. Fans will recall that the singer inked a deal to endorse a line of furs and accessories. The organization sites Jackson exploited the skins of animals. There's been on comment from the singer regarding the matter. In the meantime, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have been added to a much more flattering "get done" for their charitable work. The couple funds a foundation that gives computers to inner city schools. Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga made the list as well. Congratulations to all.  Congratulations to actor Robert Deniro and his wife Grace Hightower are in order as well. The two became the parents of a baby girl via a surrogate. Having wrapped up his tour with Jay Z you'd think Kanye West would take a few days off. Not so. The rapper debuted new material for his upcoming album at  a Christmas party at Le Baron in London. The album will hit stores in the spring. Rapper Flava Flav has added his name to the list of vodka owners. He's inked a deal for his own brand of vodka. Congratulations. The winter movies season moves along with upcoming films "Contraband", starring Mark Wahlberg, and "War Horse", among others. Fans have a lot to look forward to as the season wears on. The television season rolls on as well, as the networks have cancelled failing shows and added new ones to their line ups. On DVD: "Harry Potter: The Complete 8 Film Collection", "Star Wars: The Complete Saga" and "Kung Fu Panda 2". On the tube: "Glee" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Last Man Standing" on ABC and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Memo

It appears that once again, tis the season for rappers getting arrested. Odd Future frontman Tyler, The Creator was arrested for vandalism during a show at the Roxy in Los Angeles. According to website TMZ, the rapper allegedly began trashing stage equipment during the show when police were called to the scene. Authorities took the rapper into custody, then fans caused such a scene that Sunset Blvd had to be shut down until police could calm the crowd down. The MC's mother was also allegedly in the audience at the time of the arrest and reportedly yelled at the arresting officers. There's no word on a court date as of yet. Singer Rihanna, who reportedly wasn't able to finish all the dates on her current concert tour due to illness, has finished the tour and is on the islands spending time with family. Rapper Drake wants to meet the fan who had his name tattooed on her forehead. He's allegedly interested to know how the procedure occurred. He also had some harsh words for the tattoo artist who performed the procedure. He even went so far as to say the artist should lose his job. Only time will tell if the MC will get his wish. "Basketball Wives" star Evelyn Lozada is now in hot water with ex Antoine Walker. It appears that during their relationship the former NBA player gave the reality star  money to pay bills, but the money was used to open her shoe store. The An attorney has now been hired to recover the money lent to the starlet. There's no word on a court date, however. Police have named a suspect in the recent murder of rapper Slim Dunkin. A warrant has been issued for rapper Young Vito, as police feel the rapper is also in danger. As mentioned previously, the slaying reportedly occurred over a piece of candy. Rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Floka Flame covered the funeral expenses. The Jackson brothers are hitting the road. After a successful performance in Tokyo Japan, Marlon, Tito and Jackie Jackson announced that they will embark on a twenty show international tour across Europe. According to TMZ, the tour could start soon, pending the brothers schedules. At press time, there's no word on if Jermaine Jackson will join them. There's no word on if the tour will reach North America, but fans can only hope. It would be great to see the Jackson brothers together again. Singer Usher's ex-wife Tameka Foster is now denying reports that she accused the star of popping pills and using cocaine in the mist of the nasty child custody battle between the two. She now claims that her attorney requested a drug test be taken. One can only hope that the right thing will be done for the sake of the children. The two have reportedly been squabbling for some time now, and it's time to put an end to it. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" on ABC and ""Who's Still Standing?" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

During  an interview on "Sway In The Morning", Mississippi rapper David talked at length about the controversy sounding Oakland CA rapper V-Nasty's used of the n-word. Banner first went on to say that people are told to act a certain way and they then put it on their sleeves. He also went on to say that there are certain things friends can say to one another, because they are friends and come from the same place and have the same experiences. He added that V-Nasty's people were not hung from trees and forced to accept the n-word. People forget their history, he stated. For those unaware, the rapper released a single called "Swag", addressing the matter at hand even further. V-Nasty, of course responded. Banner insists that the record wasn't about V-Nasty, but about what we as a people accept. Any fans looking for a beef between the two need to look elsewhere. Banner says the V-Nasty should do her research before going to war with anyone and that the plight between the races is so much bigger than her. He says she doesn't seem to know the ramifications and pain of the word. It's great to see someone speaking out on the issue. No one should ever feel comfortable using the word ever. It looks like hard times have only gotten harder for former G-Unit member Young Buck. He's been put through the ringer over financial situation. This past October, Jeanne Burton, the trustee enlisted to help the rapper out of his bankruptcy, determined that he longer has a viable shot at reorganizing. Judge George C. Paine of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Nashville, Tennessee drew the same conclusion and decided to switch the rapper's Chapter 11 reorganization to Chapter 7  liquidation, the Wall Street Journal reported. As previously mentioned, the rapper filed for bankruptcy in September 2010 less than a month after his house was raided by IRS agents. At that time, the MC claimed his wasn't filing bankruptcy because he was broke, but because  he needed to get his finances in order and deal with the contract situation he was in at the time. Part of his original claim for filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy was contingent upon his ability to change the agreement between he and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records and Universal Music Group. Unfortunately, 50 didn't agree to terms of the new plan formulated to relieve his former friend. Meanwhile, Young Buck is scheduled to appear in court on January 30. To all Lenny Kravitz fans, the rocker is looking for love. He says he ready for some romantic stability in his life. He went on the say that it's not easy, as he's constantly traveling. He also went on to say he fights hard to not allow his father's ways to rub off on him. He's been linked to celebrities such as Victoria Secret model Vanessa Paradis and actress Nicole Kidman. He was married to actress Lisa Bonet for six years and the couple divorced in 1993. Fox's "The X Factor" ended with Melanie Amaro winning the grand prize. It's been an exciting season with more to come for sure. Ms Amaro gets a $5 million dollar contract and certainly has a bright future in the entertainment industry ahead of her. Congratulations. On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on  Fox, "A Gifted Man" on CBS, "Shrek The Halls" on ABC and "Chuck" on NBC. Happy holidays!

Thursday Dish

More details regarding the shooting death of rapper Slim Duncan have surfaced. As fans know, the rapper was recently shot and killed in a recording studio. Now, police are saying the star was killed over candy. Reportedly, he took candy from a man, a fight began, which spilled out onto the street, where he was shot and killed. Although no one has come forward with any information regarding the incident, rumor has it that there were 30 individuals in the studio at the time of the incident.  Waka Floka Flame and Gucci Mane have pulled resources together to cover his funeral expenses. Let this incident be a lesson to all in the Black community. Let's stop the violence. Meanwhile, while performing in Norway, rapper Game went into the crowd after an audience member threw a bottle at him. He then went back to the stage to finish the show. Thankfully, no incidents occurred. Rapper Shawnty Lo is currently in the hospital. He's diabetic and has been traveling around the country quite a bit and not taking proper care of himself. Prayers go out to the Atlanta rapper for a speedy recovery. Mediatakeout.com reportedly has photos of actor Will Smith having lunch with a blonde woman. Although from the look of the photos, it looks innocent, they're saying the two are more than just friends. Rumors have been swirling regarding trouble with his marriage, although the two could have been discussing a movie deal. We'll have to wait and see what comes of it. For those fans who couldn't get enough of R. Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet", the singer, who performed on "The X Factor" last night, says he has 32 more chapters he'd like to release, but doesn't have the funding he needs, as it would be very expensive to release them. Any investors interested should contact the singer. In rapper beef news, it appears that Common and Drake have begun a feud of sorts. It all began when Common made remarks regarding rappers singing. At a recent concert Drake let  his feelings regarding the remarks be known. Once again, there's room for everyone in the industry. There's no need to waste time and energy with petty nonsense. Rapper Chuck D has reportedly inked a deal to model a men's wear line. There's no word on when the line will hit stores, or when the ads will appear. Singer Kelly Rowland graces the cover of the latest issue of Jet magazine. It's the year end issue and the top people, places and events of the year 2011 are all covered. Jet magazine is on newsstands now. It's finals night on Fox's "The X Factor" tonight. The winner will receive a $5 million dollar contract. As for predicting a winner, anyone of the contestants could walk away with the grand prize. On the tube: "The X Factor" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Disney Prep & Landing" on ABC and "Who's Still Standing" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Actor Terrence Howard's pending divorce from wife Michelle seems to be getting crazier by the day. In court documents obtained by website TMZ, Howard claims that his wife hates blacks and called him the n word during arguments. He also claims she's trying to extort money from him and has threatened to have Russian friends take him out. The two reportedly hadn't dated long before marrying, and it will be interesting to see where things go from here. Here's wishing both the best. A Dutch magazine is in hot water for calling singer Rihanna a n***** b****. The singer took to her Twitter account to let her feelings be known about the matter, and the editor has since apologized. The editor has since resigned from the magazine. No other details are available. It appears the pending divorce of Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony is getting nasty as well. The two seemed to be trying to see who can spend the most money before assets have to divided. Lopez reportedly purchased a car for current beau, and Anthony sent staff members on an all expenses paid cruise. Hopefully, the big spenders will come to their senses soon. Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose seem happy, for the time being. Pictures of Wiz with "Basketball Wives LA" star Draya have surfaced on the internet with the two looking quiet cozy together. The problem is, the photos reportedly were taken while Wiz and Amber were together. So far, there's been no comment on the matter. Looks like someone wants and indeed has the best of both worlds. For those who haven't checked the issue out, rappers Eminem and Yelawolf appear on one of the two covers of Vibe magazine. The two discuss their careers, Yelawolf's signing to Shady Records and what's ahead for both. The issue appears on newsstands now. Rapper 50 Cent appears on the cover of the latest issue of XXL magazine. He chats with boxer Floyd Mayweather, covering a variety of topics. The issue appears on newsstands now. The competition continues on "The X Factor" as contestants continue to battle it out for the grand prize. At this point in the season, anyone could emerge the winner. "Real Housewives Of Atlanta" star Ne Ne Leaks is set to take on a role as a swimming coach on the hit Fox show "Glee". Although no other details are available, it will be interesting to see how well she handles the role. She's become known as the feisty one among the housewives, so fans should definitely look out for more. As the fall/winter movie season continues, it will be interesting to see what studios have in store for movie goers. So far, "Sherlock Holmes" has been a hit, though critics have panned it.  On the tube: "The X Factor" on Fox, "A Home For The Holidays With Martina McBride" on CBS, "The Middle" on ABC and "Who's Still Standing?" on NBC. Happy hump day!