Monday Memo

The film "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" topped the weekend box office earning over $31 million. "Frozen", "American Hustle", "Saving Mr. Banks" and "The Hunger Games" round out the top five films of the week. The hip hop community is mourning the death of Three 6 Mafia founder Lord Infamous. The 40-year-old MC died at his mother's home in Memphis TN. Although the official cause of death hasn't been determined, DJ Paul stated the Lord Infamous had a heart attack in his sleep. It's official. NBA player Dwayne Wade and actress Gabrielle Union are engaged. The two have been dating for some time and made the announcement via social media. No wedding date has been announced. Although rapper Kanye West has a deal with tennis shoe giant Adidas, Nike has announced that the new Jeezy line of sneakers will available online on Friday beginning at 8 a.m. Here's hoping the shoes sell well. Actress Keisha Knight Pulliam and radio host Big Tiger announced they're an item. Pulliam posted a picture of Tiger wishing him a happy birthday recently. Rapper Drake and actress Zoe Soldona were reportedly seen kissing in the VIP section during a Beyoncé concert in New York. The two have not spoken publicly about their relationship, if there is one. Stay tuned. On the tube: "Almost Human" on Foxm, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Shrek the Hall"s on ABC and "The Sing-Off" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

With the release of her latest album, singer Beyoncé has broken several records for sales and shows no signs of slowing down. In the meantime, husband Jay Z has collaborated with rapper Rick Ross on the single "The Devil Is A Lie" from Ross' forthcoming album "Mastermind". On his verse, Ross brags about what he's achieved and gives an obligatory nod to "sizzurp" (aka codeine). Hova uses his turn at the mike to address rumors that he's affiliated with the illuminati. This is the second collaboration between the two. The pair worked together on "F***WithMeYouKnowIGotIt" from "Magna Carta Holy Grail". Ross' "Mastermind" will be released sometime next year. Rolling Stone magazine has compiled a list of best of hip hop 2014. Drake, Kanye West and others made the list. No word on when the list will be published. Rapper Lil Boosie is closer to being released. The rapper's release date is scheduled for August 18, 2014,on the Louisiana Department of Corrections website, according to Nola.com. Rapper Rick Ross stated during an interview with radio station Power 105.1 that he was told the Louisiana native would be released in November. Rolling Stone writer Jeffrey Weiss, who has been following the troubled MC's case, tweeted that Boose would be out in "no more than five months.". Bossie, born Torrance Hatch, has been behind bars for the past several years, first for a probation violation stemming from a 2008 drug bust. He was indicted on first-degree murder in 2010, and acquitted last year. He remains behind bars serving an eight-year sentence for smuggling codeine, weed and ecstasy into the Angola Prison facility. Although he plead guilty to the drug charges, his lawyer argued that the drug incident was a set-up by an informant. All this hasn't stopped Boosie from getting close to his fans. Supporters have been kept up to date on his status via the website BoosieJustice.com and his Facebook page, which has received 3.7 million likes. In theaters this weekend: "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" and "Walking With Dinosaurs 3D". On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" on CBS, "Shark Tank" on ABC and "It's A Wonderful Life" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Columbia Records and Apple have confirmed that singer Beyoncé's new album has reached the one million sales mark. As reported previously, the album was released without any marketing or promotional push and shows no signs of slowing down. The physical album will be available in stores in Dec. 20.Singer R. Kelly's latest album, "Black Panties" has reached number two on the charts. Meanwhile, husband Jay Z has inked a deal for a line of cigars. The cigars are being described as premium cigars that will be manufactured in the Dominican Republic. "Duck Dynasty" cast member Phil Robertson has been suspended indefinitely after anti-gay comments he made were published in GQ magazine. Robertson hasn't commented publicly regarding the suspension. The line up of performers for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve" has been announced. Singers Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke are among those who will ring in 2014 on the annual telecast. "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve" will air on ABC and Dec. 31 at 11:30 p.m. Reality star Khole Kardashian is asking Twitter to give her a break. She says her recent divorce has been heartbreaking and traumatizing. She gets half a million dollars for each year she was married in addition to keeping the house, wedding gifts and her wedding ring. "Basketball Wives" executive producer Shaunie O'Neal will appear in court to get permission to have her four children appear on her new reality show "The Shaunie Project". Ex-husband and former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal objects to the children appearing on television despite the fact that Shaunie says the show will be wholesome like "The Cosby Show". Filming is set to begin in January. Rapper Pusha T. revealed during an interview that he will be working with the Neptunes on his sophomore release. Although his debut album, "My Name is My Name" has only been on the charts for a few months, King Push is ready to head into the studio. The Virginia native also flexed his philanthropic muscles as well. He helped Norfolk-based charity A Thousand Shoes For a Thousand Smiles reached its goal of outfitting 1,000 needy children with brand new sneakers in time for Christmas. The rapper was approached by organization founder Lizetta McKesson for help in a restaurant and immediately got to work on the challenge. He contacted Adidas to donate the shoes and the sneaker giant also sponsored the event along with Idea Village, Flud Watches and Pac Sun. On the tube: "The X Factor" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on ABC and "The Sing-Off" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

New details have emerged from the R. Kelly sex tape trial. A Chicago Tribune reported stated that there were more tapes featuring Kelly and underage girls. The reporter added that after interviewing dozens of young women, what he learned made him sick. When asked about the allegations during a recent radio interview, Kelly compared himself to a football player trying to avoid being tackled from behind. In the meantime, Kelly's ex-wife stated that Kelly has caught up on his back child support payments. It was reported that Kelly owed 114,000 but has since settled the debt. Singer/actress Miley Cyrus topped the list of most googled people. Singer Beyoncé and reality star Kim Kardashian weren't too far behind at No. 2 and 3 respectively. Congratulations to all. Singer Beyoncé became the first woman in Billboard magazine history to hit number one with her first five studio releases. As most fans now know, the singer released her new album "Beyoncé" without any marketing or promotion. The album sold 500,000 copies in it's first week of release via iTunes. Web site mediatakeout.com is reporting that actor/writer/producer Tyler Perry is either seeing or broke up with a cast member of "Real Housewives Of Atlanta". When asked about the rumor, Perry said he pleaded the fifth. In the meantime, Porsha Williams will continue the season and return for the reunion although rumor has it she's currently on the bubble. Public Enemy front man Chuck D weighed in on former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight's recent comments surrounding the N-word. While Chuck D agrees that being called African American is debatable, he added, "Being called Black in America is the struggle to keep us moving and breathing over bloody water. Being a n***er or n**** without the context of history is like drowning in bloody water, dragging down those yet knowing to swim." He also called out rappers for being lazy for using the N-word in rhymes more than three times a song. "It's lazy especially out of context." Enough said. On the tube: "The X Factor" on Fox, "Criminal Minds" on CBS, "The Middle" on ABC and "The Sing-Off" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

Singer Chris Brown's probation has been revoked stemming from a fight in Washington D.C. back in October. Brown won't serve any jail time, however. He's been able to emotionally regulate himself. Brown is currently serving a 90-day sentence in a rehabilitation facility for anger management. Singer Beyoncé sold over 500,000 copies of her latest album within 24 hours, according to iTunes, and the album could very well go platinum soon. The pop star has set an iTunes record for the highest number of copies sold ever. Meanwhile, husband Jay Z may win an Academy Award. He's up for best song along with Fantasia and others. After receiving a call from rapper Wale in which he slammed Complex magazine for not including his latest album on their list of 500 Best of 2013, the magazine spent the day debating whether to publish his remarks. The editors decided to publish them. During an appearance on "The Queen Latifah Show", singer Kelly Rowland confirmed her engagement to her manager. She revealed that her fiancé proposed to her via Skype. Former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight would rather not be called African-American. During a recent interview, Knight stated that Blacks shouldn't be referred as such because they are not from Africa. He added that he has no problem with anyone using the N-word. Fans have a wonderful option for a Christmas gift. Rapper Meek Mill has new music in stores. On the tube: "Dads" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Marvel's Agent of S.H.E.I.L.D" on ABC and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Friday Facts

Much to the surprise to fans, singer Beyoncé has released a new 14-track album featuring songs with husband Jay Z, daughter Blue Ivey and singer Frank Ocean. Each song comes with a video. The album took some time to put together and it's hard to believe the singer has able to keep it under wraps. Especially with rumors regarding her album swirling throughout the year. Not surprising was fan reaction to the album. The BeyHive went wild on Twitter when word spread that the album was available on iTunes. Demand for the album was so great in fact, that the web site crashed for several minutes. TMZ is reporting that Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian are officially over. The two have filed for divorce. The couple has an air tight pre-nuptial agreement. Neither party has made a public statement regarding the matter. In the on-going saga between "Real Housewives Of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams and ex-husband,ex-NFL star Kordell Stewart, Stewart has lost his latest legal battle to block Williams from discussing their marital problems on the popular reality show. Documents obtained by TMZ show Stewart approached Williams in April(after he filed for divorce) to ask her to sign a confidentiality agreement, which they agreed to keep their problems private. Despite Stewart's efforts, Williams refused to sign the agreement. As a result, she went fully in on her ex-husband, bashing him on RHOA and implying that he was secretly gay. During a post-Grammy press conference attending by comedian-talkshow host Arsenio Hall, who presented the Best New Artist nominees, Hall responded to comments rapper Kanye West made during an interview with radio station Hot 97's "The Breakfast Club". West implied that Hall was forced off the air by white corporate bosses. Hall went in on West for not knowing the facts. Hall stated that no one should use the work slave. No free person walking should use the work. West has not responded to Hall's comments. in theaters this weekend: "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smuag" and "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas". On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "Undercover Boss" on CBS, "Last Man Standing" on ABC and "Dateline NBC" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Reality star Toya Wright is back home after spending a few hours in jail stemming from unpaid parking tickets. She said of the experience, "The treatment was the most inhuman." No word on what's next for her. Rapper Kanye West is none too pleased with the recent Grammy nominations. West believes he should have received more than two nominations for his work. It appears that he's looking for validation that's not needed. Fan support is most important. Matthew Knowles has responded to allegations that he's behind in child support payments saying that he's made payments and there's been a mixup with paperwork. Knowles will no doubt make a payment before he appears in court today. He's made no further comment on the matter. The nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced and "The Butler" and "Twelve Years A Slave" have received multiple nods. No word on when the ceremony will take place. Rapper The Game cleared up rumors during a recent interview. He stated that he hasn't signed a deal with Cash Money Records as announced, but is currently in talks with Bryan "Birdman" Williams. He went on to clarify his relationship with Khloe Kardashian saying the two are friends who forged a bond when the two shared the same house with two other men before Kardashian's family made it big on the big screen. Game went on to call Kardashian his best friend. In the meantime, in light of Kardashian's rumored martial problems, she's reportedly removed her wedding ring. Fans wondering when the rumored EP collaboration between Mac Miller and Pharrell Williams will be released wonder no more. During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Mac Miller revealed that the EP will hit stores next year. The project was originally announced last year, ushered in by a few preview cuts, like the track "Glow", until scheduling conflicts stalled the release. Both artist have had an impressive 2013, with Williams being featured on "Get Lucky" and "Blurred Lines" and Miller releasing his sophomore album "Watching Movies With The Sound Off". Miller added that he and Williams have to sit down and knock out a few songs. He's expecting a end of the year deadline for his next release "Pink Slime". On the tube: "The X Factor" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" on ABC and "The Sing Off" on NBC. Happy Thursday!