“Never Ever” is being billed as the first single off Ciara’s third album, Fantasy Ride. The video was directed by Chris Robinson and features Young Jeezy, as well as cameos by Monica, actor Kevin Phillips (Notorious), the Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford, and CiCi’s dog Tyson make appearances. Check it out:



I really enjoyed the video. It managed to find common ground between a typical Ciara video (dancing) and conceptually trying to fit in with the song. Ciara looked absolutely fantastic, in fact, this maybe the best she's ever looked. I love the hair and her body is just ridiculously sick.

The video is simple, but it works.

With Ciara gearing up to release her new album, Fantasy Ride, in April, a new track from the set has surfaced in full. Originally reported to be titled “Turn Me On,” the dance-floor-ready banger is actually called “Turntables," and features C.Breezy. Check it out:

Listen/Download Here

When the track originally surfaced as a snippet, I said it sounded like a winner, and after hearing the track in its entirety, my initial thoughts are reaffirmed.

Keyshia Cole graces the Vibe magazine’s March Style Edition, which is set to hit those stands on February 17th:

It looks like she was caught off guard, no pose, no expression, its just bland, so I'm not a fan.

Grammy winning star Rihanna headlined VH1’s Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday. Check out her performances below:

"Breakin' Dishes"

"Disturbia"

"Rehab"

"Shut Up & Drive"


The only positive thing I can say about these performances, is that she looked insanely HOT.

As previously reported, Lil' Kim was highly pissed at her portrayal in the 'Notorious' biopic, and surprisingly she might have a reason to be, given Diddy has come to her defense stating that the movie doesn't accurately portray her. Check it out:



WOW! I mean this kind of comes as a surprise because this is Lil' Kim we're talking about, but biopics have been known to change things to generate more interest in the movie or just make it a better feature in general.

Tina Turner blasted her biopic, for downplaying her story, saying that it made light of the incidents between her and Ike, but honestly if the matters were any worse the movie would have been pushing on the lines of horror, so the changes were rightfully made. That said, at least Lil' Kim finally has some kind of validation, in her defense, behind the situation.

Rihanna and U2 have been added to the list of performers at this year's Grammy Awards.

Kid Rock, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have also joined the lineup. Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney have already been confirmed.

Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West will team up for a special performance of their hit single 'Swagga Like Us'. TI is also expected to collaborate with Justin Timberlake.

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will play the drums for Paul McCartney, while Radiohead will make their first live US TV performance in nine years.

The first roster of presenters has also been announced. Duffy, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black and Simon Baker will all hand out awards.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards takes place at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on February 8.

[Source]

Lady Gaga recorded a Dear Mr. President video drop for Pepsi’s Refresh Everything campaign. Check out her special message for Barack Obama:

Jennifer Hudson has already announced some public performances – but the singer is back at work, filming the music video for her new single, "If This Isn't Love."

Hudson is shooting the video, which is expected to debut the week of Feb. 9, in Los Angeles.

The song comes from the singer's self-titled album, which garnered her four Grammy nominations, including best R&B album.

Hudson has previously announced that she will perform at the Grammy Awards. (The show will be broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. on CBS.)

First, though, she is scheduled to sing National Anthem at Sunday's Super Bowl, marking her first public performance since her mother, brother and nephew were killed in October.

"So much has happened but she's ready [to perform again]," a source tells PEOPLE. "It's a new year, she's excited about performing. She knew it was time."

Rihanna, The-Dream, and Tricky Stewart make more magic together with “Hatin’ on the Club,” an unreleased cut that was intended for her Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. The track can be found on Big Mike & DJ Neptune’s R&B Kings Part Two mixtape.

Listen/Download Here

Putting some annoying vocals aside, Nice track.

Jazmine Sullivan follows the yellow brick road in her CGI video for “Lions, Tigers, & Bears,” the third single off her Grammy-nominated debut album Fearless. Check it out:



Nice Try, at trying to be creative, but the whole thing just came across looking cheap and unfinished. The tiger, was worthless, mostly due to the fact their was no lion or bear, had all three been included it probably would have fared better with me.

That said, this is the best I've ever seen Jasmine looked and the song itself, like the majority of her album, is a winner.

Lil' Mama will release her sophomore album later this year, until then, you can check out a track called, "I'm A Diva", that may appear on the set.

This sounds very much like something Britney Spears or the Pussycat Dolls would record, that said, its not a particularly bad track, Lil' Mama just FAILS to make it believable.

Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" vaults from #97 to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week. That sets a new record for the biggest leap into the top spot in the chart's 50-year history. The old record was held by Britney Spears' "Womanizer," which shot from #96 to #1 in October. Clarkson's song also enters the Hot Digital Songs chart at #1, after selling 280,000 downloads in its first week.

"My Life Would Suck Without You," the lead single from Clarkson's upcoming fourth album All I Ever Wanted, is her second #1 on the Hot 100. "A Moment Like This," her American Idol victory song, shot from #52 to #1 in October 2002. (At the time, that was the biggest leap into the top spot in Hot 100 history.) "Suck" is Clarkson's first #1 on Hot Digital Songs. Her 2004 smash "Since U Been Gone" just missed the top spot, though it has sold more than 2 million cumulative downloads.

Kelly Rowland has parted ways with Beyonce's manager (and father) Matthew Knowles, it was announced Wednesday.
They said the split was amicable.

He had managed her since she was kid and was responsible for putting her in Destiny's Child along with Beyonce.

The 27-year-old singer - whose solo career has failed to take off - did not say who her new manager will be.

[Source]

Check out Britney Spears rehearsing for her forthcoming tour, in support of her No. 1 album. The arena tour, her first in five years, kicks off in New Orleans March 3 with special guests The Pussycat Dolls.

Check out the video for Kelly Clarkson's first single, 'My Life Would Suck Without You', below:

Solange recently took part in Yahoo Music's 'Cover Art' series, delivering her own spin on Coldplay's "Viva La Vida".

Coldplay is one of my favorite bands, I truly believe they deserve the Album of the Year trophy at the Grammys next week. Random, I know, but since I didn't get the chance to adequately finish my Grammy breakdowns, I just thought I would throw that out there. That said, I enjoyed Solange's performance, not great, but very enjoyable and hilarious, due to the hideous dancing.

Check out Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Letoya, & Mario tributing living legend Patti Labelle at 'An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Patti Labelle':

Fantasia - "Lady Marmalade" & "Somebody Loves You Baby"



Jennifer Hudson - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"


Letoya - "When You Talk About Love"


Mario - "If You Asked Me To"

Great performances all around, but Fantasia was just on a completely different level, as I knew she would be singing Patti. She embodies Patti more than any other singer out and this performance proves that.

Eva Longoria Parker, with husband Tony, at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, in Los Angeles. Other attendees included: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Taraji P. Henson, and Kate Winslet.

Taraji P. Henson, finally got it right in her all white number, Kate Winslet looked breathtaking in purple, as did Diane Lane in red, but Best Dressed goes to Eva Longoria Parker, who looked radiant in her jeweled tangerine Jenny Packman gown, H. Stern diamond earrings and retro curls.

Teri Hatcher's disaster just didn't work, while Angelina's dress looks exactly like her Golden Globe get up, just a different color. That said, Worst Dressed goes to Marcia Cross, which is pretty self explanatory.

Cast: "Slumdog Millionaire."
Actor in a leading role: Sean Penn, "Milk."
Actress in a leading role: Meryl Streep, "Doubt."
Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."
Supporting actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."
Stunt ensemble: "The Dark Knight."

Television:
Drama series cast: "Mad Men."
Actor in a drama series: Hugh Laurie, "House."
Actress in a drama series: Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters."
Comedy series cast: "30 Rock."
Actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."
Actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey, "30 Rock."
Actor in a movie or miniseries: Paul Giamatti, "John Adams."
Actress in a movie or miniseries: Laura Linney, "John Adams."
Stunt ensemble: "Heroes."
Life Achievement: James Earl Jones.

Check out former Danity Kane vixen Aubrey O'Day in this preview of her forthcoming shoot for the March 2009 issue Playboy magazine:

The swagga at the Staples Center will be on a hundred, thousand, trillion when T.I., Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne come together to perform “Swagga Like Us” at the Grammy Awards.

The all-star rappers have been added to the lineup of performers for the 51st annual show. Justin Timberlake is also scheduled to take the stage with T.I. for their latest hit collaboration, “Dead and Gone.”

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards airs live on February 8 from Los Angeles. Lil Wayne leads the pack with eight nominations.

Check out Lil' Wayne's first single, "Prom Queen", from his upcoming rock album, Rebirth, which will be released in April, below:

Listen/Download Here

This one is definitely a winner and definitely a smart decision on Lil' Wayne's behalf, given Kanye has consistly been known as the only rapper willing to live outside the box and try new things, this not only shows his growth as a musician (guitar), but also as artist in general. That said, I just hope he doesn't go overboard with the Autotune.

This week's Past Attack, rolls on with, R&B singer Whitney Houston and her performance at the 1994 Soul Train Awards. Put simply, everything about this performance worked and proves just how great of a vocalist Whitney actually was, because her recent trollops have probably distanced that thought from your mind.

Cassie has clocked in a Spring release for her sophomore release, in the meantime, you can check out an unreleased track called, "I'm a Lover", which was produced by The Dream and Tricky Stewart.

Listen/Download Here

With the right song, I can actually see this Prince interpretation working for her, but only with the right song, which doesn't exist in this feature.

In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation.

Storyline:

Producer Sean "Diddy" Combs, enthralls in the story of Notorious B.I.G, which demonstrates the typical story of one's rise to fame ending in tragedy.

In the eighties, he's a chubby boy from Brooklyn, played by his own real life son Christopher Jr., raised by his single mother, after his father proves to be more of a sperm donor than anything. As a teen, now played by Jamal Woodward, Chris turns to street corner drug dealing for the money, which quickly finds him behinds bars.

Discovering his talent of crafting rhymes and branding himself the Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie, lands him a deal with music mogul Sean (then-Puffy) Combs at age twenty. Four years later, he's murder.

Though, the storyline sticks to basics you already knew, it does very little to fill in the gaps, and it creates storylines that quickly disappear without truly being resolved. As with Biggie's mother, who's battle cancer could have been a potentially nice sub plot, but gets the boot just as quickly as it gets introduces. Even the rivalry with Tupac, isn't explored deep enough, in fact, you still remain in the dark about what really went down between the two. One minute their friends, the next, their rivals, and the whole effect and unrealistic change of it all, just seems too rushed.

That said, it was nice that they had an underlying message to the picture, but at times, it seems they were trying to push the message across too erratically. I also didn't like how they had Biggie narrating the story, since its clear nobody actually knows what he was thinking, in fact, this takes away from the quality and creditability of the movie.

Acting:

The heart of this movie lays in the casting, as Angela Bassett and Derek Luke give commendable performances, as Biggie's mother and Sean "Diddy" Combs, respectively. The problem with Angela, who always captures the screen with emotional highs and lows, is that she's extremely under used. Still, in her scenes she captures a rare essence that shows just how great of an actress she really is.

The highlight was definitely in the casting of Jamal Woodward, a Brooklyn born rapper called Gravy, who not only boasts an uncanny resemblance to Biggie, but also brilliantly portrays all the ores Biggie was known for. Given he has no previous acting experience, I was highly impressed.

The acting isn't a complete slam dunk, mainly because of Naturi Naughton and Antonique Smith, who portray his lover Lil' Kim and wife Faith Evans, respectively. Naturi's performance comes across extremely too forced and Antonique's, like she isn't trying enough, but they both look the part. That said, I now understand why Lil' Kim didn't like the way the film portrayed her, because both women are reduced to nothing more than common whores, which may be the case or just an attempt to boost the movie's interest. I put my money on the first for both ladies.

In addition, the movie lets Biggie take sole credit for Lil' Kim style, from the way she raps to the way she dresses, which is probably what Lil Kim had a problem with the most. As for Naturi, I find it questionable as to why she would take on a movie like this that has her doing nudity straight out the gate, not a smart decision, in fact, I always say if you're going to do nudity follow Halle Berry's route, and build your resume as a respectable actress first.

Direction & Visual:

Visually, the movie goes the traditional Hip-Hop route of capturing the life of the industry, but does very little to break the mold. Still, not a bad switch of transitions and lanes.

I'll be the first to admit, I'd written this project off before it even begin production, but it was actually a enjoyable effort, by no means groundbreaking and you won't see it on the awards front come award season, but still solid.

Check out the video for Pink's third single, "Please Don't Leave Me', below:



As ALWAYS, Pink's singles are great and her videos take creative to new levels, and this one continues the trend.

Leona Lewis has a run-in with the law and “Gossip Girl” actor Chace Crawford in her new video for “I Will Be.” The ballad is off Spirit - The Deluxe Edition, available in the U.S. on February 3. Check it out:



I'm really liking the overall feel of this effort, from the heartfelt song to the conceptually enticing video, which stands as one of, if not her best. I've often stated that Leona, can be the premier entertainer when it comes to boring you to death, so the addition of hottie Chace Crawford, did bring some refreshing energy to the table.

“Unstoppable” is the first single off Kat DeLuna’s sophomore album Inside Out, the follow-up to 2007’s 9 Lives. The song and video feature her Universal Motown labelmate Lil Wayne. Check it out:

The whole effort just seems entirely too forced for me, in fact, it simply looks like she took the styles of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera, fused them together, and tried to pass them off as originals. Two thumbs down!

Check out Beyonce's new official movie poster for he upcoming flick, Obsessed, the thriller which also stars Idris Elba and Ali Larter, dashes into theaters on April 24.

The romantic fantasy "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" led Academy Awards contenders Thursday with 13 nominations, among them best picture and acting honors for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson, and a directing slot for David Fincher. Listen to Forest Whitaker announce the nominees below:

Brad Pitt, whose film, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' collected 13 Oscar nods, including Best Picture, called the nominations "a great honor for the movie," while giving props to his director. "I'm especially happy for David Fincher, for without him there would be no Ben Button," said Pitt, who was last nominated for a supporting role in Twelve Monkeys in 1996.

Angelina Jolie, had words of gratitude for her director: Working with Clint Eastwood "was a reward in itself that will last me a lifetime," she said. Yet, the actress is still humbled about her nomination for her role as a mother whose son goes missing in 'Changeling'. "To receive a nomination from the Academy on top of that is a privilege beyond any expectation," she said Thursday. "It has been an exceptional year for acting, and I am honored to be in the company of these talented actors whose performances all deserve this recognition."

Taraji P. Henson, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', Best Supporting Actress: "I was sound asleep thanks to Pinot Noir, and the phone rings at 5:30 a.m. I knew why it was ringing, so I woke up screaming and it wasn't a nightmare! … I wasn't expecting anything. All I expect is for my work to touch people, to move and inspire people. That's all I expect. I don't get into the award stuff so this is just icing on the cake! ... [Still], this is the highest honor for what I do in this industry. Think about it, for the rest of my career I will be known as 'Academy Award nominated Taraji P. Henson.' That changes everything!"

Viola Davis, 'Doubt', Best Supporting Actress: “[I was] in a hotel room sitting next to my hubby. I was awake sitting with my husband and my publicist with some champagne. They had the champagne in their hands. Me, I was just clutching my husband. And then when I heard my name I just screamed! Just screamed! You feel like you dreamed the biggest dream and this is the reward."

Kate Winslet, 'The Reader', Best Actress: "I'm extremely happy to have been nominated. And very fortunate. Playing Hanna Schmitz will always remain one of the biggest challenges I've ever been blessed with. I'm genuinely thrilled not just for myself but for the wonderful Stephen Daldry and David Hare. These nominations are a testament to their unwavering commitment to this film. And I'm also very happy for all the people in Germany whose hard work on THE READER, has been rewarded by these nominations. Surely Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack are smiling down on us today!”

Anne Hathaway, 'Rachel Getting Married' Best Actress: "It is such a thrill to be recognized in this category with these remarkably talented women. I was with my parents and my dog when I got the news and we were all overjoyed- although I'm not sure my dog knew what was going on. This is a great day to be an actress!"

View the full list of all the Nominees

Check out these two trailers from the upcoming season of 'Making the Band 4' below:




Looks like a nice watch. That said, without the fiery personalities of Aubrey and D.Woods, the group is pretty much done in my book, as for Day 26, I can't see a bulk of people watching the show without Danity Kane on it, and if they indeed come to an end, I think the guys will find it extremely hard to make it on the sales front. Even with the show, they haven't moved impressive units and Donnie overly tanked, so even though Diddy made the move he felt he needed to make, IMO it wasn't a very smart one.

Keyshia Cole frolics in the snow in the video for “You Complete Me,” the second single off her third album A Different Me. The Benny Boom-directed clip was shot in the mountains of Big Bear, Calif. Check it out:

I love the song, even though she does nothing groundbreaking to keep it from taking the form of her typical ballads, that said, I didn't care for the video. I think I would have liked it better, if she was the lead woman, which is something Keyshia tends to stray away from in her videos.

In addition, I'm still wondering why she continuously picks Benny Boom to helm her videos, especially since not a single one of her videos have been conceptually great.

Check out these performances from ABC's 'The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball':

Jay-Z - "History"


Stevie Wonder Featuring Various Artists - “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”


Mariah Carey - "Hero"


Will.I.Am - "It's A New Day"


Mary J. Blige - "Just Fine"

Alicia Keys - "No One"

R&B singer Mashonda stopped by Angela Yee’s Lip Service radio show on Shade 45 Monday night, and finally confirmed the long standing rumors that Grammy winning singer Alicia Keys was behind the destruction of her marriage to record producer, Swizz Beatz.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama shared their first dance as Beyonce sang “At Last”, at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball on Tuesday night.

Other performers and guests included Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, and Denzel Washington.

I didn't care for Michelle's gold and green inaugural ensemble, but this Jason Wu gown is absolutely FAB-U-LOUS!